Voltage
by animalsarepeopletoo
Summary: RTTE S6 What-if: Guardians of Vanaheim. After being struck by lightning, an injured Hiccup is left trapped with Astrid and Snotlout, who struggle to fight off attacking Dragon Flyers. Meanwhile, Johann and Krogan just need a last Dragon Eye lens to complete their puzzle... and an incapacitated Hiccup just might be the answer to that dilemma. ABANDONED - *ENDING IS IN LAST CHAPTER*
1. Chapter 1

**WARNING: MAJOR SEASON 6 SPOILERS (UNTIL THE ELEVENTH EPISODE, GUARDIANS OF VANAHEIM). You've been warned! If you haven't seen Season 6, GO WATCH IT RIGHT NOW, IT'S AMAZING.**

 **It sort of bugged me that in Guardians of Vanaheim, Snotlout was struck by lightning AGAIN (how many times has he been struck, like five?!), AND that he wasn't affected realistically AT ALL, so I decided I wanted to write a what-if about it where Hiccup was struck instead! *cackles* You know how much I love my Hiccup!whump. XD**

 **This'll probably going to be maybe 5-7 chapters or so - depends on whether you guys want more! I'll update on a fairly regular schedule, so no worries about this being abandoned or anything! ANYWAYS, I'll stop rambling now.**

 **READ, ENJOY, R &R... Hope you like it!**

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 **Chapter 1:**

 _CRACK!_

Thunder roared deafeningly in Hiccup's ears, making him wince. The sounds of battle and the present downpour blended together into a cacophony of sound, overwhelming his eardrums. Of course, the Dragon Flyers had to choose _today_ to find Vanaheim… the day where a huge storm had to come along that would most likely knock them out of the sky.

"We need to regroup!" he called over to Astrid and Snotlout, barely dodging a fireball from one of the Singetails. He couldn't even count how many times he'd been shot at tonight if he tried. There was just no escaping the Flyers… except through maybe one way. He looked to the dark skies before them, face grim, but knew there was no other place to go. "Back into the storm! They won't follow us."

Astrid and Snotlout reluctantly went after him on their dragons as he and Toothless darted ahead, but they had no chance to protest the plan; the Singetails' blasts were getting uncomfortably close.

As soon as they were under the cover of thunderclouds, Hiccup regretted his decision to fly here. A lightning bolt struck nearby, missing him by a couple of feet, and almost hitting Toothless's prosthetic.

 _Thor above_. He inwardly groaned. His metal leg and Toothless's tailfin were the perfect attractions for the lightning - there was a high chance they might get hit in this weather. He looked down at his prosthetic foot, hoping it was too small to draw anything dangerous. But with his recent luck, he knew he couldn't count on much.

 _Oh, come on, Hiccup_ , he told himself. _It's one little piece of metal, and we're probably flying too fast to attract anything. The chances of being struck… you won't get hit. You won't. And you_ can't _. There're too many people depending on you for you to be knocked out of the sky_ now.

"Uh, Hiccup–!" Astrid shouted to him, glancing back at the Flyers nervously. Their opponents were beginning to follow them; they had apparently decided that going into the storm was worth getting the Dragon Riders. "I think we may have underestimated them."

Suddenly, Hookfang gave an alarmed screech as a bolt of lightning flashed eerily close by, and reared in anxiety, causing Snotlout to tumble forward. His helmet was thrust from his head at the jolt and began to fall towards the sea before Snotlout could grab it. Soon, it was lost in the dreary blackness below, probably floating around in the ocean by now. Snotlout gave an enraged yell, frustrated that he had lost his prized helmet, but even he knew he couldn't go down to get it. There were more important matters to deal with right now.

"You know, I'm sure you'll make a great chief one day, Hiccup," he growled, bitter at his loss, "just know that I will _not_ be living on your island!"

 _BOOM!_

"Well, that's so comforting, Snotlout," Hiccup said sarcastically, "but right now, we need to figure out a way to neutralize these guys." He cast a look over his shoulder back at the Dragon Flyers and was dismayed to find them having no trouble keeping up with the Riders. Cringing as Toothless suddenly swooped to avoid another explosion of Singetail fire, he knew that the dragons were bound to hit their targets sometime.

Snotlout fumed, running his hand over his head unhappily with a longing sigh. "Oh _,_ I can think of _plenty_ of ways to neutralize them!"

Barely suppressing his frustration, Hiccup cast him a withering look. "Neutralize _without_ harming the Singetails! We only want–"

"–to get rid of the Flyers," Astrid said. "We know, Hiccup, and we're with you!"

Snotlout gave an indifferent mutter.

Hiccup smiled faintly, though he was anything but happy. "Thanks, Astrid. Now, I think maybe we could–"

 _CRACK!_

A flash of light so bright it blinded Hiccup for a few seconds attacked a space alarmingly close to his prosthetic, and he closed his eyes till the burst faded, knowing from secondhand experience what looking at it for too long could do to a person's eyes.

"Hiccup! You good?"

"Yeah, fine, Astrid. My leg and lightning just aren't good friends." He shook his head, and there was a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach that he couldn't quite shake away. "Anyways, I–"

 _CRACK!_

Another string of lightning snaked its way down from the sky, hungry for a metal object to strike… and soon, it found Hiccup's leg.

As he was attached to that very gadget, the lightning quickly traveled from the prosthetic through Hiccup's frame with more force than he'd ever felt in his life _._ All his senses were tingling, _exploding_ with agonizing power that left him winded and paralyzed. Unable to handle it all, his body seized up and a piercing scream left his lips. He was horrifyingly conscious for a moment of blaring pain, and then it became all too much for him and he allowed the roaring in his ears to sweep him away into blessed darkness.

Some of the electric current traveled to Toothless, too, and the dragon shrieked at the sting, losing control of himself as he was momentarily knocked out. In consequence, Hiccup was pitched from his Night Fury's back and thrown high up into the air, limp and lifeless.

He wasn't airborne for long, however. After a few seconds, he plummeted down, quickly followed by Toothless. A minute later, they had vanished beneath the clouds. Astrid and Snotlout were frozen in terror on their dragons, too horrified at the previous sight of their seemingly invincible leader so vulnerable to do anything except stare.

Astrid was the first one to come to her senses, knocked out of her daze when she realized she could no longer see Hiccup's figure in the blackness. Her hands tightened on Stormfly's saddle horn, and she couldn't breathe for a long moment.

" _HICCUP_!"

The cry tore itself from her throat, painful and petrified. Snotlout and Hookfang began to move, as well, Astrid's holler waking them up to reality.

"SNOTLOUT, FOLLOW ME – HICCUP FELL THIS WAY!"

"G-got it! Hooky, _let's go find that Haddock_!"

The pair drove their dragons down towards the sea, squinting through the rain in a desperate attempt to discern their missing leader. But it seemed that he had just simply vanished – he was gone, and it didn't look like they were going to find him or Toothless anytime soon.

"HICCUP?"

Astrid was clearly in pure panic mode as she frantically searched the waves below for him.

" _Hiccup_!"

She nudged Stormfly forward, fright arresting control of her senses, but she'd search the entire area if there was even the slightest chance he was around, though the possibilities of finding him were slimming down every second. By now, Hiccup had probably reached the ocean… and a fall into the water from this height could do serious damage to a person's body.

For once, Snotlout was the level-headed one. "Astrid, hey – hey, hold up! If you go all crazy on us, we'll never find him! Remember that he fell _with Toothless_ , and that dragon would never let Hiccup out of his sight after what just happened. We find Toothless, we find Hiccup, and something tells me it won't be too difficult to find a Night Fury!"

Trembling, Astrid pulled her dragon to a halt, turning back to Snotlout. Though she didn't want to waste a moment not looking for Hiccup, she knew he was right. Flying around with no idea what to do was no plan, especially with attacking Dragon Flyers as a threat. "Fine. Where do you suggest he _is?_ It's not like Toothless can tell us where he fell!"

However, sure enough, a screeching plasma blast came from below a few seconds later, followed by a familiar roar.

"Down there!" Astrid shouted, pointing in the direction of where the shot had come from. She had Stormfly nosedive towards the place, Hookfang and Snotlout hot on their wingtips. Even between all the raindrops falling in front of their eyes and the Singetail Fire behind them, they managed to make out something large in black in the water underneath them.

 _Toothless._

They swooped down over the dragon, who was struggling to stay afloat in the rocky waves. He was obviously drained after the fall from the sky. Hookfang quickly retrieved him from the ocean before Toothless could sink anymore, his size and strength helping him keep the Night Fury aloft.

Astrid lowered Stormfly so she could look at Toothless, who was shrieking at the spot in the sea he'd just been taken from. She had a horrible feeling she knew what he was going on about. "Toothless! Is Hiccup…?!"

He weakly pawed at the water below, moaning with loss. And that could only mean one thing: Hiccup was there.

 _Oh no._

Astrid and Stormfly dove down beneath the waves without a second thought. Though stinging with the saltwater, Astrid's eyes darted around as she looked for her missing betrothed with a determination she'd never felt before. She couldn't allow her worry to cloud her thoughts – not now that Hiccup needed her.

 _Come on, come on, come on…_ where _was_ he…?

Half a minute passed, and Stormfly swam them deeper and deeper; but they found nothing, and Astrid was beginning to lose hope. However, as she began to reach the end of her air supply, Astrid saw something shiny flicker in the darkness below. Her heart-rate tripping over itself, she pushed Stormfly down even further, and saw…

 _Hiccup!_

His abnormally pale face was slack and burned, mouth agape in a silent gasp of pain. A few cuts scratched his cheeks, but fortunately, the injuries didn't look too serious. But he looked dead, she admitted, and for a moment, she was afraid he _was_. Yet, she refused to accept that; he was strong – strong enough to survive a lightning bolt and a 400-foot fall… yes, of course...

Wasn't he?

Not willing to risk anymore time, she lunged forward off Stormfly and grabbed Hiccup's limp arm, dragging him onto her dragon's back. She sat him in front of her once she climbed back on and held onto him so tightly that there was no chance of him falling again. He wasn't getting away from her again that easily.

Stormfly quickly pulled them out of the freezing water and was flying again within seconds. Hiccup's body let out an involuntary cough of water as soon as he was out of the sea, but after that, he was still. Snotlout let out an audible sigh of relief when he saw Hiccup, but his gratitude was short-lived when he _really_ saw him. Hiccup did not look well at all, between his ashen face and motionless form. From Snotlout's position, he almost seemed to be dead.

"Oh, Thor… i-is he…?"

Astrid looked down at Hiccup grimly, swallowing. "I don't… know. I haven't checked…" Trying to stop shaking, she lifted two fingers to his neck, checking for a pulse.

One second went by.

 _Nothing._

Another passed.

 _Nothing._

A third moment stretched along.

 _Nothing._

She was glad it was raining, because otherwise, she'd have nnothing to her disbelieving tears.

"Oh gods… Hiccup, no… you can't be…"

 _Thu-thump._ Pause. _Thu-thump._

The slight pressure beneath her fingers was so minuscule, she almost didn't feel it, but the moment she felt _anything_ had her intently concentrating for more. And a few beats later, she found that Hiccup's heart had started up again and he was _breathing._ "H-Hiccup! He's alive! Snotlout – Hiccup's alive!"

Toothless whined happily, though he was too weak to struggle against Hookfang's talons and reunite with his rider.

Looking as though he might faint in relief, Snotlout muttered, "Well, of course he is… never doubted for a second… lightning bolt should've killed him, but he's too stubborn to do anything right…" He shook his head, like, _That was Hiccup for you._

 _BOOM!_

A sudden explosion of Singetail fire came from behind, and it was a miracle the blast didn't strike one of them. It was useless to think of fighting back, so neither Rider fired back in return to the threat. Instead, Astrid squinted ahead in the rain, holding Hiccup closer for comfort. "We have to find somewhere to land! We'll never get away like this. Hookfang can't hold Toothless for long, and Hiccup needs to be checked over. He's still not waking up."

No matter how hard she shook him, he remained out cold, and that was a concerning fact; she'd seen enough battle injuries in her life to know that when someone was unconscious for so long, brain damage was possible.

She looked ahead, searching for a place to rest in this storm. It would only be a matter of time before the Flyers caught up with them, and landing would make them sitting ducks – but Hiccup and Toothless were more important. They could figure out an escape later.

 _A-ha!_ There was something in the distance… hmm… what was it…? She peered closer, and a shipwrecked boat leaning caught between some rocks came into view when a flash of lightning illuminated it. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. It wasn't perfect, but it would have to do. There was no other way out of this, and at least they'd have some line of defense if they hid out there. It was their best bet.

"Snotlout, follow me!"

Pulling Hiccup's sagging form tighter underneath her arms, she urged Stormfly towards the marooned ship. It was only a few seconds' flight away at the speed they were going, and they were soon hovering over the vessel. Astrid spied an opening on the main deck of the craft – a hole broken through the top probably during the shipwreck that left it there.

Astrid and Snotlout circled the boat once more, then descended towards the ship and dipped through the hole. They heard several more blasts from the Singetails behind them as soon as they were safely indoors, and Astrid felt a rush of thankfulness that they had found this place.

She jumped off Stormfly as soon as they touched ground, and Snotlout helped her set Hiccup prostrate on the floor. He remained unconscious, though he gave a few groans as they handled him, appearing to be sensitive to the touch. The crash into the water had probably bruised him up, Astrid guessed with a sympathetic wince.

Other than the occasional grunt when someone touched him, Hiccup was still. Eerily still. It scared Astrid to see him like this – he was always moving around, tweaking around with some project or off on a flight with Toothless… Watching him lie there so lifeless was unnerving.

"Hiccup…" She shook him gently, but at his painful sigh, she was afraid that he might've broken a bone or two from the fall. Frowning, she swiped a wet lock of hair off his face.

Snotlout was behind her, helping Toothless get situated in the corner, though resting was the last thing the Night Fury wanted to do when his rider was in this state. Hookfang observed them all, his expression almost nervous.

Astrid took Hiccup's hands and rubbed them in hers, hoping to spread some warmth into them in the process. She also needed the reassurance of his slow pulse in his wrist. Knowing that he was alive and breathing calmed her, though she was anything but relaxed.

"Hey… hey, Hiccup… you have to wake up now, okay? Even if you don't want to. I know you're tired, hurting, and you deserve a rest, too. You really do. You've worked so hard these past couple of months, and you've barely taken a break. I'm so sorry, Hiccup. I'm sorry I let this happen to you. I should've done something – _anything_. But… what's done is done… and you have to wake up for me. We need you right now." She bent over and kissed his forehead, squeezing her eyes shut. " _I_ need you. So, please… please…"

 _KA-BOOM!_

At the sound of a shot from outside, Astrid lurched to her feet and ran over to the side of the ship, where there was another window-like hole to look through. The Singetails were getting feistier, the Flyers unrelenting in their struggle to blast them out of their new hideaway. Now that she was out of the craziness of the battle, it dawned on Astrid that coming here might not have been the best idea. Like she had thought before, they were trapped here now without help or any resources. Their leader had been struck down, and his dragon was barely strong enough to stand. Things weren't looking good at all. Maybe they should've braved the storm...

"Well…," Astrid said shakily to Snotlout. "At least the Flyers are too busy with us to go tell Johann and Krogan about Vanaheim.

Snotlout gave her a strange look. "We're trapped inside a ship that's being attacked by Singetails – after your precious betrothed has just been struck by _lightning_ – and _that's_ all you can say?"

"I'm just trying to make light of things, okay? We have enough to worry about. And at least Hiccup's not _dead_!" she snapped. She had been so afraid that he was, and still feared he wouldn't make it. She remembered the last time he had been struck; the mutton-head had been trying to prove Toothless's innocence to Berk and had gotten himself zapped. She could clearly recall the way he'd fallen from the high perch he'd been standing on, sinking beneath the waves as he fell into the sea. Much like this time, she'd been too horrified to do anything, and Toothless had had to save him before he was lost. Hiccup had been lucky to pull through that time – and she prayed to Odin that he'd come alright the same now.

"Yeah, well, he almost was!" Snotlout shouted back, panic beginning to become evident on his face. "And now we're stuck here, and we're _all_ probably going to die!"

Suddenly, Hiccup gave a violent twitch, and a shock of electricity jolted through his body. Astrid jumped to attention, whirling around to see that his otherwise normal breathing had become ragged and strained as he panted for a breath that had suddenly disappeared. He gave a series of rapid coughs, and more seawater was released from his mouth… and then he went limp again, as stagnant as before.

Astrid was relieved for a short moment – it was just Hiccup coughing out some water. There was nothing to worry about.

…right?

Yet she couldn't fight away the feeling that _something_ … something was very, very wrong.

 _You're being silly_ , she chided. _Hiccup's out of the water, he has a pulse, and he's breathing. He's fine. He's pulled through a lot worse than this, he'll make it…_

"Snotlout, you've been struck by lightning before," she said, eyes still locked on Hiccup. "Did you have any odd… side effects?" The spasm hadn't been normal, she knew. Snotlout had been struck by lightning… she didn't know how many times. She wondered if he knew something about what was going on.

"Uh, other than speaking backwards, nope. But because of all the electricity put into your body at once, your heart usually can't take it all and sometimes you can die from the shock. Your heart just stops and everything."

Astrid was surprised that he knew this information, incredulity shown on her face. Snotlout glared. "What? I was worried about my _health_ after all those times of being struck so I read up on it! And, yeah, I read sometimes, don't look so shocked! But, anyways, I wouldn't be too worried about him. He was had a pulse before and was breathing and stuff… he'll be fine."

Despite his assurances, she still found herself slowly coming back to Hiccup's side and kneeling next to him. "Hiccup?" She touched his chest, wishing he'd reach up to squeeze her hand back like he always did. "Hiccup…? You okay?"

There was no answer – but, then again, he hadn't answered earlier either. She frowned as Snotlout sat down beside her and slowly took Hiccup's hand, holding it by the wrist. Astrid tried not to be bothered at Snotlout's unexpected concern but failed. Was something wrong? He had just said Hiccup was fine… yet…

"… _because of all the electricity put into your body at once, your heart usually can't take it all and sometimes you can die from the shock."_

But Hiccup was okay! She'd just felt his pulse before the Flyers attacked… it'd been strong and steady… it would keep on beating, just like before, for sure…

" _Your heart just stops and everything."_

"Astrid…" Snotlout's alarmed tone caught her attention, jerking her from her thoughts. "Astrid, Hiccup had a pulse a minute ago, right?"

Feeling a sense of dread creep up in her throat, she swallowed, nodding. "Yeah."

His troubled eyes met hers, and she felt her breath hitch as he said, "Well, I don't think he… he doesn't…"

Astrid frowned. "What, Snotlout? He doesn't _what_?" When he hesitated to answer, she growled, "Answer me!"

 _Please, please, please, please–_

Letting Hiccup's slack hand fall from his own, Snotlout's eyes filled with alarm that confirmed her worst suspicions. "Astrid… he doesn't have one now!"


	2. Chapter 2

**HELLO! Thanks for all your kind feedback, faves, and follows… it really helps!**

 **SHOUTOUTS (because you guys are awesome):**

 **katurdi** **: YES, IT STOPPED AHAHAHAHAH! (of course, yes, IT'S WHUMP, and we love it! :D) THANKS! Haha, glad you think so! I wish he was struck by lightning too. *sigh* HE WAS SO CLOSE! Here's your next chapter!**

 **Grizzly98** **: Wait, how do you know about the codes? XD But yes! CODE BLUE ALERT! Yep, all you can do when left with a whumpy ending is wait for the next part.**

 **Rookie08B** **: *smiles mysteriously* Who knows what I have in store for him… MWAHAHAHAHA!**

 **Guest (#1)** **: WOOHOO, glad you liked! "Oh no Hiccup" indeed…**

 **brywolf** **: AHHH I KNEW I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE. Hiccup was** ** _so close_** **to getting struck that I was like, "I need to write a what-if about that." And that led to me finding tons of information about the effects of being struck by lightning… some very whumpy things. *giggles* Thanks and will do!**

 **DaisytheDoodleDog** **: Thanks! HERE IT IS! :D :D**

 **master-of-httyd-fics-452** **: Yes, a cliffie, hehehe! Thanks, and I'm happy you enjoyed!**

 **DELETEDACCOUNT91** **: Aww, thanks! :3 I worked hard on the detail, and I'm glad you think it's alright! YAY HICCSTRID! There'll be a lot more in this and future chapters, too!**

 **TheyCallMeYourCloverness** **: YEP, HE'S NOT BREATHING! AHHH! Do not fret, your update is here!**

 **spike-and-spencer** **: Haha, thanks! Yeah, Guardians of Vanaheim was pretty good, but Hiccup!whump makes everything better. *grins***

 **bananas4funie** **: Really? Thanks! Yeeeeppp, Hiccup was ALMMOSTTTTT struck. So close to major whump… *longing sigh* YAY! I was worried about anyone being OOC, so thanks! Glad you liked it!**

 **thepurplewriter333** **: *SCREAMS BACK*** ** _THANK YOUUUUUUU!_** **AND YES –** ** _SO MUCH WHUMP!_** **Aww, you're making me blush… *kicks invisible rocks* I wouldn't what? XD I've already killed off Hiccup in two of my fics… who says it's not possible in here…? HERE IS THE AWAITED UPDATE. Thanks, Purple!**

 **Plasma Snow** **: DON'T WORRY, I'M HERE WITH ANOTHER UPDATE! AWWWWWW, thanks, that means so much! I'm super happy that you like this and promise you it'll only get better (in whump terms). YAAAASSS, I love Selfless!Hiccup getting himself hurt. :D :D Well, no more waiting, here is your next chapter! I know, right? I can't believe that RTTE is over… it seemed like there would always be a new season to look forward to. *SNIFF* You're amazing too, my friend! Thanks for reading!**

 **Wide Eyed and Curious** **: A-HA! Another person who thought Hiccup was going to be struck as well! ODIN ABOVE, YES, Hiccup and Toothless have given many people gray hairs. Thank you, and you don't have to wait any longer! ;-) Hope you enjoy this chapter, too!**

 **Snowflake (Guest #2** **): I will! ;-)**

 **The Dreaming Dragon:** **WAHOO, YEAH, MORE FANFICTIONS! Aww, thanks! DO NOT FEAR, here is your next update!**

 **AnaWinchester-Universe67** **: AWWW, sorry. But here's the next chapter! (though it doesn't get much less frustrating)**

 **Guest (#3)** **: AHHHHH NOOO HICCUP! *cries along with you* No, actually, I'd probably just laugh. XD AWW, really? Thanks! Yep, seeing Astrid give her betrothal pendant back to Hiccup was so sad. ;-( AHH, I know right? Can't believe RTTE is over. :-(**

 **HERE IS CHAPTER 2! Prepare for craziness.**

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 **Chapter 2:**

Astrid gasped, then grabbed Hiccup's hand from the floor, needing to see for herself. She waited three long seconds… five… seven… ten. And there was nothing. Not wanting to believe it, she tried Hiccup's neck, praying that she'd been feeling the vein wrong, that Hiccup was fine, and she was worrying for nothing…

But, another ten seconds later, he still didn't have a pulse.

"Snotlout," she breathed. "You're – you're right… he's not…"

Toothless whined from the corner, sensing something was wrong, and padded over to see what was going on. He froze when he saw Hiccup's prone body, and after receiving no reply to the dragon drool he left on his rider's cheek, he let out an upset _screech._

Snotlout began to freak out. "Oh my Thor. _Oh my Thor._ He's not breathing!" He covered his mouth in horror, starting to hyperventilate with fear. His panic soon became so crazy that Astrid had to smack his cheek to get him to calm down.

" _HEY_! What was that for?!"

"Hiccup may not have a pulse, but he's not dead yet!" she growled. "So, don't you go acting like he's already gone! We're _bringing_ him back." She'd thought she'd be rendered helpless the moment Hiccup was declared to have not heartbeat, but instead, she found an overwhelming wave of determination at the thought. She and Hiccup had been through _everything_ together. They'd shared their dreams, their sorrows, and their lives with each other. One lightning bolt wasn't going to take all of that away!

"W-w-well, fine," Snotlout sputtered. "How do we help him, then? There's no way _we_ can get his pulse back!"

"I… I'm not sure. You read about people's hearts stopping after they're struck. What happens next? Can you revive them?" she said in desperation, ready to do anything to bring Hiccup back. She glanced down at his still form, dismayed to find him still unconscious and not making the slightest movement. Toothless nudged him, whimpering.

Snotlout shrugged feebly, still freaking out at the sight of their unresponsive leader. "I don't know, I can't remember! You know me, I rarely pay attention to words."

Astrid was steaming. "Snotlout, you wrote a whole book a few months ago, and you have the nerve to day that? _Aargh_ …" She wanted to _strangle_ him, the mutton-head… "You remember what that thing said about pulses _right now_ or I swear I'll tie you up and give you to Johann myself!" From beside her, Toothless's dark expression said the same – if Snotlout knew how to save Hiccup, then he'd better tell them… or else.

Before he had a chance to reply, a Singetail sent another blast at the ship, causing them to stumble around as the boat rocked dangerously.

"Gods," Snotlout panted. "They don't give up, do they?"

"No, they don't… and they're going to destroy us if we don't do something soon, but Hiccup's life is far more important right now. So, _what about the lightning_?"

He hesitated for a long moment, his face scrunched in contemplation.

" _Snotlout_!"

"His heart!" he blurted out wildly. "It's stopped!"

"Yeah, it's stopped! We know that already, genius!"

"No, that's not it! His heart's stopped… for now. But that doesn't mean it can't be restarted again!"

 _BOOM!_

The Flyers continued to fire their dragons at their hideaway. The force was twice as strong this time, knocking Snotlout over as the blast hit the vessel. Astrid helped him up, though she was stumbling around for a hold, too. It wouldn't be long before the Flyers destroyed the ship completely. She was frustrated at the addition to the present craziness.

"Restarted? But how? Is that even _possible_? Come on, _think_ , Snotlout, Hiccup's running out of time!"

"He… h-he needs a jumpstart," he said, brow furrowed in thought. "A jumpstart to his heart. He's not dead right now, but the longer he goes without a heartbeat, the more the chances of him surviving go down… He needs something powerful enough to shock his heart back into pattern. Well, that, or he has to eat a pear kissed by a butterfly. Runes are hard to read."

Astrid gave him a disgruntled stare. "Which do _you_ think is right? Oh, never mind, you probably couldn't tell anyways… Look, we need to find out a way to administer that… that _jumpstart_." She ran through her mind for ideas but couldn't come up with anything that would help. How did one go about shocking a heart back into its normal task? Because the answer was eluding her.

"Umm…" Snotlout seemed on the verge of a panic attack due to the stress of the situation. "I don't know… I…" Abruptly, he leaned forward and pushed down on Hiccup's chest near where his heart was, as if he thought if he pressed hard enough, the heart would start beating again.

Toothless gave a wail.

"What in Thor's name are you doing, trying to kill him _faster_?!" Astrid hollered, shoving him away.

" _I'm just trying to help_!" he screamed in return, brushing himself off from the push onto the floor. "And it doesn't look like you have any better ideas!"

"Well, they're better than that stupid plan! And unless you want to break Hiccup's ribs or something, I suggest that you _not do that again_!" Honestly, sometimes it was like Snotlout didn't have a brain! She grabbed Hiccup's head, cradling it in her lap, and shook him. "Hiccup! Hiccup, come on… you're stronger than this… _fight it…_ " She had no idea what to do to help him but wanted to keep him away from Snotlout. He was only making things worse.

 _KA-BOOM!_

The ship rocked precariously, and Astrid felt the boat ever so slightly _slide_ down the rocks it was propped up against. It wasn't much of a movement, but as she was used to flying on a dragon, she picked up on the change right-away.

She opened her mouth, about to yell at Snotlout to calm down, but then closed it, her mind returning to her previous thoughts. The boat was sliding down the rocks – not by a lot, but if the Flyers kept this up, they might eventually be pushed into the ocean.

Her eyes flashed with realization, and she slowly set Hiccup back on the ground, standing up to look through one of the holes in the ship.

 _They might be pushed into the ocean._ Was that what the Flyers were trying to achieve? It was a smart plan, she admitted, as it would force them out of their hideout and leave them vulnerable. She didn't have time to delve deeper into the possibility, though, because Snotlout had started shaking Hiccup again, shouting at his heart to get thumping.

"Snotlout, for the love of Thor, _stop shaking him_!" she hollered at him, frazzled. "That's clearly– _not_ – _helping_! You've probably just made things ten times worse, you mutton-head!"

He stopped momentarily. "You never know what might work, _Astrid_ , and I think we should be open to all options here as his heart _isn't beating_!"

 _KA-BOOM!_

Astrid was torn between decisions of what to do first. She knew they had to get the Flyers away or they'd be in more trouble than before, but Hiccup's life was fading before her eyes with every second he went without a heartbeat. How long had it been since his pulse had stopped? Two minutes? Three?

Toothless screeched as Snotlout shook Hiccup harder, murmuring a litany to the gods to bring him back. The dragon growled at his rough-handling, standing protectively over Hiccup's lifeless form.

"Hey! I'm trying to _help_ , Toothless!" Snotlout shouted. "It's not like he can get much worse than this!"

Toothless snarled back, challenging his method of assistance.

"Don't you use that tone with me! I don't see _you_ trying anything!" When the Night Fury roared loudly in his ear in response, Snotlout glowered and began to quarrel him, adding yet _more_ noise to the sounds of battle. Astrid wanted to scream.

Knowing that nothing would get accomplished without those Singetails gone, she had Stormfly and Hookfang try and defend their base by firing back. It wouldn't help much, but it would give them some time to help Hiccup, and that was all she needed right now. She returned to Hiccup's side as soon as the dragons were all situated and saw Snotlout and Toothless still bickering.

"Snotlout, Toothless, _cut it out_!" she snapped, and the boys froze. She was beyond stressed, and between her flyaway strands of hair and the harsh look in her eyes, her friends were scared to do anything that would aggravate her further. "Fighting like this is _not_ going to help Hiccup! He's already gone a few minutes without a heartbeat – we have to do something _now._ _Now_ , Snotlout, or _Hiccup is going to die._ " She looked down at her betrothed, who looked as lifeless as before. His mouth was slightly parted, but no gasp for air came through. Not even a finger twitched. She held back a sob.

Distraught, Toothless shot a panic-stricken plasma blast into the side of the ship, pupils narrowed with distress.

"Toothless, _did you not hear me_?" Astrid yelled, her emotions getting the better of her. "We have to calm down and do something _useful_ , because doing something like that is not going to help Hic-"

"Wait! Wait, Astrid, I've got it!" Snotlout turned to her, an idea lighting up his face. "I know what to do."

"Then _tell us_ , Snotlout, for Thor's sake!"

"It's _Toothless_ , he's the answer! Oh, why didn't we see it before…!" He began to get excited, animating his hands as he spoke. "If Toothless shot a plasma blast at Hiccup's chest, there might be enough power to-"

"-restart his heart again," she said, hope fluttering in her stomach for the first time in a while. "Snotlout, you are a _genius._ " Not wanting to waste a second more talking, she called, "Toothless!"

Said dragon looked up from Hiccup's side, wearing a pained look.

"Toothless, we have an idea of how to save Hiccup!" Astrid cried, stumbling as ground-shaking blasts trembled the ship. "But you're the _only one_ who can help, and you can't let your emotions get in the way of doing this. Are you ready?"

The Night Fury straightened, prepared to do whatever it took to save his best friend.

"Good. Okay, Toothless, I need you to shoot Hiccup."

Toothless let out a surprised grunt, eyes bulging.

"Your plasma blast might have enough power to shock his heart back into commission if fired at with the right concentration! Look, if you hesitate any longer, there'll be _no_ chance of saving him. Even if this doesn't work… you have… you have to try" Desperate tears gathered in her eyes as she thought about losing Hiccup, but she refused to let them fall. _Be strong for Hiccup. Strong for Hiccup._ "You have to do it, Toothless – you have to do it _now_!"

Rumbling in apprehension, Toothless reluctantly turned his head from Astrid to Hiccup. He gazed down upon the Rider's still form. His colorless face was haunting, the cuts and burns on his skin standing out in stark relief against the paleness. Not only did Hiccup _look_ dead, he _was_ dead – technically, at least, since his heart wasn't beating. And at that thought, Toothless had no further hesitation as he readied hot purple plasma blast in the back of his mouth. He made sure the blast wouldn't be too harsh, but not too soft either… somewhere in the middle. _J_ _ust_ right. He had to make this one count.

" _Toothless_!"

With a final glance at his beloved rider, he closed his eyes… and fired.

* * *

The first thing Hiccup became physically aware of was how much his chest hurt. There was a sharp, searing pain where his heart was that made him gasp for consolation from the discomfort. His heart-rate was sluggish, then rapid, then sluggish again, as if it was getting used to beating again or something. Strange. He heard muffled sounds of screaming and loud explosions but was confused to as why this was happening. Was there some war going on? Because it certainly sounded like it. He wished it would stop; the noise hurt his ears.

He coughed again, bosom still aching. _Gods_ , he felt awful. Like… like that time he had been struck by lightning as a kid. He remembered the sore feeling he'd had for weeks after, and the crippling pain in those first awakening moments… yep, that's exactly how he felt right then.

Wait. Why did he even feel this way? Had he been injured in battle, perhaps? Been knocked out? He couldn't quite remember… everything was fuzzy and disorienting. He strained to recall the past events but could only come up with a sudden blast of light, drawing a blank on everything else. What had happened?

Someone pressed down on his chest – hard – and he let out a groan. That _hurt!_ Didn't people know personal space? He was already sore all over, and the compression was only making things worse.

"Ow," he moaned, struggling to move his arms to push the weight away. However, his limbs felt heavy and were difficult to move. He could barely shift his body.

" _Hiccup – think he's awake–_ "

" _– ha, I_ told you _it would work, I told you–_ "

Astrid. Snotlout. What were they doing here? At another sharp pain stab at his chest, he wanted to ask them what had happened to him. Maybe they knew. He was still clueless, sensing that something was wrong, but not being quite able to put his finger on it. Slowly, he became aware that he was lying on his back on something rocky (a dragon?) but, again, didn't know what was going on.

Though he felt exhausted and weak, he forced himself to wake up a little more. He couldn't ask questions when he was asleep.

"Astrid," he mumbled, counting on at least her to know why he felt this way. "What… what happened… why am I…?" It was hard to talk – his mouth felt so numb and his tongue was heavy.

Instead of a verbal reply, he was answered with a bone-crushing hug. He winced, managing to pry open his eyes to see Astrid throwing her arms around him in a large embrace. He smiled, always happy to see her.

"Astrid," he repeated, this time in a more strained voice. "Could you… you're squeezing kind of…" A moment later, Astrid reluctantly pulled back. Hiccup was surprised to find her eyes red when he could finally see her face. "Are you okay?" It wasn't like her to cry. Something bad must've happened.

Astrid gave a look of playful frustration. "Why, you… you…" Her voice broke, and a grin appeared.

Snotout's face came into view next to Astrid's, and it filled with immense relief when he saw Hiccup. "Oh… hey, Hiccup. Good… good to see you awake," Snotlout said in an unusually choked voice.

Hiccup was perplexed. "Did I miss something?" He tried to sit up, but Astrid's hand lightly pushed him back down.

"Rest," she said, tone gentle. There was a warm smile on her face. "That's the only thing you need to be worrying about right now, okay?" Her hand rubbed his shoulder, and it felt nice; he was almost content, save the sore feeling he still had.

Yep, it felt _exactly_ like the last time he'd been struck by lightning.

However, despite being comfortable, that dissatisfying feeling continued to nag at him.

"I'm still… confused," he panted. "Where are we, exactly…?"

 _KA-BOOM!_ There was an explosion outside that rocked whatever craft he laid on, causing him to be slammed onto the floor again. He groaned, the crash adding to whatever bruises he already had.

Wait. That sound, though… it was familiar, as if he'd heard it just a short while ago. He struggled to remember what had happened… and memories soon filtered in.

Dragon Flyers. Singetails. Vanaheim. Heather. Krogan. Johann. _Voltage._

"The storm," he said in surprise. "We were flying, and I… I…"

"You were hit by lightning, Haddock." Snotlout rolled his eyes.

Hiccup started in surprise. "What? I… I thought it felt like that… like a few years ago when I was struck… but… I never guessed that I actually had been…"

"Well, Hiccup, ya did." Snotlout smirked at Astrid. " _Ha_ , and he calls himself a genius-"

Astrid elbowed him, and he yelped. "Shut up. I'm sure that if you just went through what he did, you'd be equally confused." She looked back down at Hiccup. "How do you feel? For just coming back to life, I mean."

"What?" He'd died? This was news to him. He didn't _think_ he had died. He remembered light, floating in some kind of water, and a feeling of peacefulness, but the distant recollections were already fading.

 _BOOM!_

Another blast crashed into the thing they were all in (where were they, anyways?) and Hiccup sat up before anyone could stop him, though he regretted it a moment later when he felt dizzy. "Astrid, Snotlout… what's going on? Where _are_ we? And… why are we under attack?"

Exchanging a glance with Snotlout, Astrid explained what had happened since he'd been struck by lightning and what was happening now. Hiccup listened to Astrid's story in interest but was dismayed at the fact that they were trapped and in serious danger because of _him_. He felt awful.

"This isn't your fault, Hiccup," Astrid said, immediately picking up on the guilt in his expression. "Don't you _dare_ think that. This could've happened to _anybody_ here, and we'd be in the same position."

"Yeah… I know."

The ship they were on rocked unstably again with a few more blasts from the Singetails, sliding down the rocks a little more. Hiccup cringed. During Astrid's story, the Singetail shots had dramatically increased, and then died down to only a few a minute. Snotlout gloomily reported that some of the Flyers had left… probably to go tell Johann about Vanaheim, and that they were trapped here.

Hiccup frowned. "They're going to destroy… or knock this ship into the water sometime or another, guys… The only reason they haven't approached us so far is because of Hookfang and Stormfly, and they're running out of energy." He coughed, holding his chest. He felt better than he did when he'd woken up, but still tender and drained. It remained hard to talk even now, and he had to take short pauses as he spoke. "We have to go… before something else happens. Some Flyers already left… and Johann… he might be on his way already."

"Hiccup, you're far too weak to be moved," Astrid argued. "I'm not going to leave you here in this state, and Snotlout's too afraid to go alone."

Snotlout's cheeks pinkened. "Hey! I'd _gladly_ leave this ship if it meant safety, alright? For _all_ of us. But I _can't_ leave you guys, you need me!"

While Astrid fired back a haughty response, Hiccup mused with Snotlout's words. "Yes," he said, and his friends quieted to hear what he had to say. "You would leave."

Suddenly, he straightened, emerald eyes alert with an idea. "Snotlout… you have to go. Astrid's right – I can't even stand… Astrid won't leave me… and Toothless needs a rider to fly. You're the only one left… who can make it. So, you have to. Go get Fishlegs… and the twins… and tell them what happened. Bring them back here. And, Snotlout… take Toothless with you. If the Flyers get him… I'd never forgive myself."

Toothless rumbled in protest, but Hiccup shook his head, stroking Toothless's nose. "I know, bud, I know you don't want to leave… but you _have to_ , okay? If you're captured, they'll kill you or chain you up somewhere you can never escape from. You're a Night Fury, the rarest dragon of all. You can't help me by staying here, so help me by making sure that Snotlout gets back to Vanaheim alright and brings help. Can you do that?"

His dragon snorted, shaking his head adamantly. _I'm not leaving you._

"Come on, bud, I know you can, and you know what I'm saying is true. I'm sorry… but it's the only way. Please, Toothless. Do it for me."

Toothless's big eyes were round and sad, but he eventually gave a soft sniff of agreement. Hiccup knew how hard it was to make that decision, and smiled tiredly. He really couldn't ask for a better best friend. "That's my bud… thank you."

"Hiccup, I can't just leave you and Astrid here… it wouldn't be right. I'd be leaving you defenseless and alone for Thor knows how long," Snotlout said, his words rushed and awkward. He clearly wasn't used to voicing compassion.

"Snotlout," Hiccup said affirmatively. "As your leader and acting chief… yes, acting chief, remember how Spitelout asked me to step in?… I command you to leave and retrieve help for us… any consequences falling solely to me if something should happen in the process… This is my decision… and if it's wrong, it's wrong… but right now I'm saying it's the right thing to do. So, do it." Inside, Hiccup was doubtful, but his confident words made it sound like he'd never been so sure of anything in his life.

After a long stare at him, Snotlout nodded. "Okay."

"Snotlout?" Astrid said. "Thanks. And don't mess up."

He rolled his eyes, motioning for Hookfang to get ready to go. "Will do." He glanced at Toothless. "So, T, looks like it's you and me, then?"

Toothless snorted in disdain. _Never_.

However, he did allow Snotlout to board him when Hiccup insisted. Hookfang was indifferent to the fact that Snotlout wasn't going to ride him, almost grateful at the switch. Upon, Astrid's request, Snotlout agreed to take Stormfly along too. Nobody wanted their dragons in the Flyers' hands.

"Okay, then… I'm locked and loaded, ready to go," Snotlout said once everything was ready. "Don't worry, guys, I'll hurry back." His friends thanked him once more, wished him luck, and then he was off. With the decrease of Flyers guarding them, it would be easier to get away, and the fact that Snotlout had three dragons protecting him helped reassure them all.

"You really think he'll make it?" Astrid asked, sitting down next to Hiccup, who was leaning against the side of the ship.

He sighed, staring through the hole Snotlout had left through in an uneasy way. "I don't know. But he has to," he said simply. "He just has to…"

* * *

 **As always, please R &R! :-) Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**AARGH, sometimes I really hate autocorrect. This chapter, it wouldn't stop changing "Krogan" to "Kroger"... *sigh***

 **...ANYWAYS, thanks for all those reviews, faves, and follows - if you're an author on here, you know it means the WORLD, and if you're a reader, you know all of that encourages a quicker update. :D**

 **SHOUT-OUTS:**

 **DaisytheDoodleDog** **: Thank you - that means so much to me! Don't worry, I'll update this pretty quickly, so you don't have to wait for long! Yep, much Hiccstrid is ahead, do not fret! :D No, thank YOU!**

 **Lord Jaric** **: Judging from the amount of times these characters get struck by lightning in the show, I think some healer must've eventually found out the basics of what to do in a situation like this, which Snotlout read about. :-) Plus, the only thing Snotlout knew was that Hiccup's heart needed a shock, which wasn't too technical, as anyone who studied the after-affects of being struck by lightning could tell - even a Viking. (The fact that the show isn't quite historically or medically accurate helps my argument as well)**

 **katurdi** **: AHHHHHH YEAH IT WAS! Woohoo, YES, WHUMP EVERYWHEREEEE! EEK, I didn't even think of HTTYD 2. I just thought of The Eel Effect. When Hiccup was smashed against that tree... *happy sigh* Thanks! It all just worked out in the end. AWWWW THANK YOU. Here is the next, and I hope it's just as good!**

 **Grizzly98 : Ah, okay! See, I thought you were talking about this other set of codes that my friends and I made according to whump... code blue meant dying, and I wondered how you knew! XD Hahaha... Yep, being asked to shoot your best friend isn't the first thing you'd expect to have to do, but hey, it worked! Thanks, and here it is!**

 **master-of-httyd-fics-542 : I hoped to make it crazy, heheh, and I'm glad you thought it was! Guess we'll have to see how Snotlout makes out. :-) Thanks!**

 **AnaWinchester-Universe67 : Aw, thanks so much! I'll try! XD**

 **goldenauts: Great! Thanks! Yep, the beginning was pretty crazy... AHHH YOU NOTICED! "Guess it's just you and me then" "Always" has been a really popular Hiccstrid quote on Tumblr, and so I thought I'd change it up due to the situation... Glad to hear it, and thanks!**

 **thepurplewriter333: I EXPECT AT LEAST _YOU_ TO GET BY WITH THE ENDING, QUEEN CLIFFIE! :D AHHH, THANKS! I'm cranking out these chapters as fast as I can...**

 **The Dreaming Dragon : YES, HE'S ALIVE, THANK THOR! Hiccup's been through everything - he can survive cardiac arrest as well! XD HERE IS YOUR UPDATE!**

 **r-a-e121 : NO PROBLEM, I LOVE WHUMP JUST AS MUCH! OMT, YES. Hiccup had some perfect whump opportunities this season from being shot at to being captured, but NOOOOO, Dreamworks said... hmph. Hey, I know an author who's going to write a what-if about episode 10 where Hiccup's hurt! Her name's thepurplewriter333, she's AWESOME, and she LOVESSSSS whump. Put her on your follows list and wait for her Darkest Night what-if! :D**

 **ElenaTheHyperactiveFangirl14 : THANK YOU! :3**

 **Astrid E Lokison : AHHHHH THAT'S GREAT, THANKS! I know, Hiccup really needs to stop almost dying... if only they had 911 back then, heheh... It would save the Riders a lot of trouble, that's for sure. Thanks for reviewing!**

 **bananas4funie: Yep, I updated, WOOHOO! Sorry this chapter took two days to get out - I've been busy. YAY HICCUP'S OKAY WOOP WOOP. Guess we'll have to see what happens to Snotlout! HERE IS THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **spike-and-spencer : It was a close call for Hiccup, alright! Thank you! Glad you like it. ;-)**

 **DragonWriter0316 : ME TOO! Whump is just... amazing. Plain amazing. I don't know why I love it so much, but I DO. Hahaha, I've had people who've thought it weird for me to like whump, too - you're not alone! Thanks! Here it is!**

 **PixelLight : Why, thank you! Hiccup's been through some pretty tough stuff, so I thought I'd let him get through this, too. :D YAY, thanks!**

 **Smoe05 : Heheh... it really is ironic! WOOHOO, I was aiming for insanity! :D Thanks, and glad you like it!**

 **And now, ENJOY CHAPTER 3!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3:**

Johann peered down at the little ship that sailed in front of his own, curious at the sight. His first instinct was to annihilate it, but had a better idea; why not plunder it? Like he'd done for years to his "fellow traders", he could take over the ship and steal whatever goods it had.

He gave a nasty smile. He was in the mood to take something from someone, anyways. He could only make out one person aboard through his spyglass – a man with long blonde hair who twiddled around with nothing in particular. _Ha_ , would he would be easy to overcome.

However, before he could turn the wheel of his vessel towards the tiny boat, a shout came from behind him. Johann glowered. _Krogan._ The insolent man had probably come to tell him that his Flyers had failed to return with any news, and Vanaheim and the last lens remained lost…

"Johann!" Krogan's dragon landed him on Johann's ship, and he jumped off immediately. "I have news!"

Johann turned curiously. Oh? He hadn't expected those idiot Flyers to come up with anything. If you wanted something done, you did it yourself. That was how he'd lived by for the past eight years, and he wasn't about to change his motto now.

"They found Vanaheim," Krogan said, but from the way he was speaking, it sounded as if there was something else they'd found – something better, even.

"Spit it out, Krogan," Johann snapped, clasping his hands together smartly. "We haven't all day."

"It's the Dragon Riders – we have Haddock, Hofferson, and Jorgenson trapped out in a storm somewhere. And one is injured. We think Haddock."

A malicious grin split Johann's face, and he laughed. "Your Flyers might not be so useless after all. Do you know where they are?"

"My Flyers do. They can lead us there."

Johann nodded. "Go after them. Some other Flyers will show me the way and I'll arrive by tomorrow; I wouldn't fly on a _dragon_ if it meant life or death, so I'll take my ship. We can hold the Riders there. Make sure not to injure them too badly… we still need those lenses." He snapped his head around to look at Krogan, who was getting back on his Singetail. "And Krogan? _Don't_ fail me on this… or the master will be told just how many times his _star pupil_ has let him down."

Krogan glared at him but said nothing as he flew off. The tiny ship in the distance was forgotten – it probably had nothing of importance, anyways. There were far more important matters to contemplate.

One more lens, and his goal would be complete. And Hiccup… oh, Hiccup was going to give it to him… even if he didn't know it.

* * *

Things weren't looking good for Hiccup and Astrid.

By now, so many holes had been blown in the ship, they didn't have to look up to see the sky anymore. Hiccup had begun shivering at the cold a short while ago (the lightning had torn some of his clothing, leaving his skin exposed to the weather), but he refused to tell Astrid. She didn't need anything else to worry about. Plus, he felt guilty enough for being so useless in such a dire situation that he hated to be a bother.

"Astrid," he said after a minute, just needing something to break the tense silence between Singetail blasts. "Um… I know it's kind of cheesy to say, but…" He shook his head, smiling.

"What's cheesy?" she asked with a tilt of her head.

He looked down, rubbing his charred fingers together. The burns from the lightning still stung a bit. "Even though we're being attacked by Singetails, our base is falling apart, and I was just struck by lightning… it's kind of nice, being here with you." He wasn't saying he was _happy_ at what they'd gotten themselves into, just that he was somewhat content with what was going on now.

Astrid looked taken aback for a moment, then chuckled. "You know something? You're… kind of right. Being in the middle of an epic dragon war, we haven't gotten to spend any quality time together lately… who knew that we'd have to go through all this to get some?"

"Yeah," he laughed. "Who knew. But, in all seriousness, Astrid… thanks for being here. I don't know where I'd be without you. Probably at the bottom of the ocean, or worse." The silent _sorry for making you stay here_ was left unsaid, but both could hear it in his tone.

"Hey, what are betrotheds for? And at least we have this boat as a base," she said, patting the side of the ship. "The Flyers haven't knocked her in the water yet. She's stronger than she looks. And plus… we're safe, for now." Astrid smiled, but before Hiccup could reply, they were cut off by loud blast of Singetail fire, which was followed by a voice that astonished both.

"Think again," someone said from above, and they jerked their heads up to look through the broad hole in the ceiling. Hiccup was stunned to see none other than Krogan flying overhead, glaring down with a snide look.

" _Krogan_?" Astrid gasped, too dumbfounded to go for her axe. Hiccup was equally puzzled. How had he found them?

 _The Flyers_ , he realized. They must've reached Krogan and told him about what had happened when they'd left before.

"It seems you aren't so secure after all." He glared up at his group of Flyers, which had silently surrounded them all in the time he had spoken. "Seize them!"

* * *

Chaos ensued the moment Krogan spoke, and the Flyers began to attack, diving down over the ship and firing close-range blasts. Astrid took action immediately, grabbing her axe and charging up the stairs to meet them on deck. She made sure to stand in front of the hole in the ship, so they couldn't get close to Hiccup. She'd protect him if it was the last thing she did.

With a fierce battle cry, she charged, swinging her axe expertly (and a little bit crazily, truth be told). The approaching Flyers swerved to avoid her weapon, unable to fly too close in fear of their dragons or themselves getting injured. They didn't seem to want to injure her, however, as they fired no shots in her direct path.

"Fools!" Krogan spat, glowering. "If you can't fight _on_ the dragon, _get off_. We don't need the beasts for everything. She's one girl!"

"One _wound-up_ girl," Astrid said, hunching over in combat position. "And if you don't what a wound-up girl can do, I'd be _delighted_ to show you." Screaming again as the Flyers dismounted the Singetails, she stormed forward, eyes blazing in a way that made several of them pause.

As she fought, she hoped Hiccup was doing alright. She did her best to stay in front of the hole, but it was even hard for _her_ to fend off all these Dragon Flyers and stay in the same area at the same time. She also hoped that Hiccup wouldn't try and do something stupid, like attempt to help her. He was in no condition to even stand! Yet, she wouldn't put it past him to try.

Her axe clashed with a Flyer's mace, and with another smooth move, he was disarmed and knocked down onto the deck. She made sure he was unconscious, then twirled around to fight another one.

Astrid gasped as she saw two Flyers making their way over to the hole in the ship – they were going to try and take Hiccup. She'd been distracted for a moment, and they'd taken advantage of that. _Stupid!_ She shouldn't have let herself get caught up in the battle and be led away. Roaring, she rushed towards them, ready to fight with everything she had.

However, she suddenly felt someone grab her from behind, and found herself incapable of moving. She struggled, even trying to bite the hands that held her, but nothing worked to set her free. She turned her head to see Krogan scowling down at her. "You put up quite a fight there, I admit, girl," he growled, "but all warriors are overtaken sometime."

She was getting desperate as she watched the Flyers jump down the opening. There was silence for a few moments, then she heard some scuffling – and then a loud shout that she knew by heart. _It was Hiccup_. "Fine, fine, you caught me… I'll go with you, whatever… just _leave Hiccup_ alone _._ _LEAVE HIM ALONE_!" Terrified at what was happening to him she kicked at Krogan's leg, and he _oomphed_. She tried to escape once more, but he held fast.

"You're lucky I have orders not to hurt you," he snarled. "Or you'd get off with more than a few brusies."

"Krogan, sir, we have him!"

The two Flyers from before appeared from below with Hiccup, who was unconscious. His head hung limp, and his were feet dragged lifelessly across the ground as the men pulled him on deck. He didn't make the slightest sound, even as he was rough-handled.

"What did you _do to him_?" Astrid screamed. " _What did you do?!_ "

"I told you you not to maim the boy!" Krogan was equally livid, but for much different reasons.

The Flyers looked awkward. "Uh, well, he put up a fight," one said. "We couldn't get him to calm down, so Ogmund knocked him out. But not very hard!"

"There's probably not that much damage," the other piped in.

" _Idiots_!" Astrid exploded. "He was just struck by _lightning_ , for Thor's sake. Of course it's going to do some damage!"

Krogan seemed to be uncomfortable with the situation. "Well, at least you fools managed to actually capture the boy for once. Where's the other one… Jorgenson, was it?"

"There's no one else down there," one Flyer said – Ogmund, Astrid remembered. "Just Haddock."

"You said three were down. Did you lie, or do you all just have incompetent eyesight?"

Astrid considered telling him that Snotlout had gone to get help, but another thought struck her to be better. If Snotlout hurried back with the other Riders and maybe some backup, perhaps they could have the element of surprise and they would be rescued in time. Yes – that would make the most sense. In the end, she decided to keep her mouth shut.

Instead, she kept her eyes on Hiccup, worry festering inside of her. Hiccup had just been struck by lightning, died, and came back to life. The "knock to the head" or whatever the Flyers had done to him certainly wouldn't improve his condition. Seeing him so lifeless brought back memories of hours before when his heart had stopped… when he'd _died…_ when, for a moment, she feared she'd never talk with him again, hear his laugh, or see his smile…

"I suppose it was just two taken down then, as you seem to only remember this pair," Krogan said. "Take the boy and follow me on your dragons. There's a boat waiting somewhere nearby – we can hold them there until Johann arrives."

Astrid's hands and feet were tightly bound before she was put on Krogan's Singetail, and her axe was left on the boat. No one trusted her not to do anything funny and kept a close eye on every move she made. However, there was no need; she would never leave without Hiccup.

The boat Krogan spoke of was a few miles away, and so it only took a couple of minutes to get there. When they arrived, Hiccup and Astrid were immediately thrown in a cell furthest from the exit and left blind in the dark. Night had fallen by now, and the Flyers wouldn't waste any torches on them.

Hiccup had started to stir during the flight back, but was clearly out of it, mumbling senseless things, appearing not to know where he was… and constantly asking for his dad. Astrid promised him that he'd be here soon, not having the heart to remind him that Stoick was in a coma at the moment. Still, he remained upset, and cried out names of his friends, hoping they'd come. At one point, he asked to see Astrid, but when she told him that it was her, he didn't understand, not recognizing her. After a while of that, he at last fell into an uneasy sleep.

He threw up a few times overnight, and Astrid cared for him the whole time. It was only when light started creeping through the cracks in the ship did she realize morning had come. Strangely, she wasn't tired at all, too hyped up from the previous events to rest. Hiccup was a different story, drained and exhausted. Astrid let him sleep but made sure to wake him every few hours; due to all these injuries Hiccup had acquired over the years, she knew that someone who had been knocked out shouldn't sleep for too long periods at a time.

Shortly after dawn had arrived, she heard footsteps coming down the hall of the ship, sounding louder as they approached her cell. By now, Hiccup had come into a state of somewhat awareness, knowing where and who he and everyone else was. His mind was still muddled, but it was a lot better than last night. He bounced back easily from these things, thank the gods.

The owner of the footsteps appeared in front of their cell, and Krogan came into view.

After unlocking the door, he stepped into Hiccup and Astrid's cell, hands folded behind his back. His face was a look of barely suppressed disdain. "How's Haddock doing?"

Astrid looked up from the floor, a glare shining in her eyes that would make any grown warrior swallow. "What do you care? Aren't you going to kill us anyways?"

"Actually…" He glanced down at Hiccup's prone form. "No. Not yet. There are other plans from Johann… plans that could satisfy both of our needs…."

* * *

Hiccup couldn't be sure that the events Astrid told him were happening were actually going on but tried to pay attention the best he could. He heard Krogan's deep voice say something about plans satisfying both their needs and was immediately on guard. Krogan would never help them. Something was wrong.

Astrid stood up, making sure to stand in front of him. Hiccup wanted to protest, although he couldn't muster the energy. Head wounds really took it out of him, and he was exhausted from his restless night. "Oh, yeah? And what's that – our freedom for the last Dragon Eye lens, right?"

Hiccup heard the smirk in Krogan's voice. "You're an insolent little thing, aren't you? You think you know everything… alas, you don't. I know that you would trade your life to keep those lenses safe – saving dragon-kind and all that is important to your cause." He rolled his eyes. "Anyways, I'll get to the point: you're free to go, Hofferson."

Even though Hiccup couldn't see her face, he could tell Astrid was startled. "What?"

"You're leaving. Believe me, I wanted to kill you, but Johann, ah… has other plans for you Riders." He didn't seem happy about the decision, but obviously didn't have a say in the matter. Hiccup couldn't imagine why Krogan was letting her go but was too happy she was going to be alright to protest.

She shifted. "No. I'm staying with Hiccup."

"Astrid," he muttered from the floor, shaking his head but regretting it when he was met with another wave of dizziness. "No. No, listen to me, you have to go."

"What? No, I'm not leaving you! Johann will kill you – he's already tried before!"

"No, they won't kill me," he muttered, glancing up at Krogan, who glared back. "They still need a last Dragon Eye lens… and I can tell them where ours are. They can't kill me. Astrid, you have to leave, if not for me then the dragons." Couldn't she see that if she stayed, they'd kill her? He was just keeping her safe; it was what they did for each other.

"That Flyer must've hit you harder than I thought if you think I'm actually going to let you stay here by yourself. Or maybe it was the lightning bolt that scrambled your brains."

"Astrid, I'm trying to help you," he said lowly. "Better they let one of us out than none."

"I'm sorry, it seems that you think you have a say in the matter, girl," Krogan simpered. "You don't. Johann sent me a Terror-mail this morning – he only wants Haddock, and says to let you go, though I can't fathom why."

He nodded towards the Flyers that stood outside the cell (had they been there the whole time? Hiccup wondered, not remembering when they had gathered), and they came inside, roughly grabbing Astrid's arms and beginning to march her out.

In shock, Astrid allowed herself to be pulled away, urgently calling Hiccup's name, but he just gave her a sad look. What he had said before was true. He was safe until the Flyers got their last lens… or he hoped.

"Hiccup, wait, I can't…" As if the information had struck her for the first time, she began to struggle against the Flyers' arms, grunting while she attempted escape. "Hiccup, no-"

"There's nothing you can do for your friend, girl," Krogan snarled.

"Hiccup… Hiccup… Hiccup, no, you're not going to… don't… DON'T TOUCH HIM, KROGAN! DO YOU HEAR ME? _DON'T YOU TOUCH HIM_!"

The Dragon Flyers yanked her from the scene, and her screams eventually faded into the background of the creaking of the ship. With a painful sigh, Hiccup looked up at his captor, somehow managing to meet Krogan's gaze with an equally strong look.

"You're going to torture me till I tell you, then?" he winced.

Krogan's face was impassive. "Don't be ridiculous," he snapped. "The Flyers may be Vikings, but it's you Dragon Riders who live in the Barbarian Archipelago. No. Torture is a foolish game, and I know it'd never work on you. You're much too stubborn for that."

He felt a wave of relief at that. "What's your plan, then? Ask me nicely, maybe do a little groveling at my feet? It wouldn't hurt, you know."

"Johann and I have our ways," Krogan growled. "And I suggest you not use that tone with me."

"Why?" he said innocently. "Am I upsetting you? Thor forbid if that happens - oh, wait, I forgot... _everything_ upsets you."

In response, Krogan simply turned on his heel and exited Hiccup's cell, making sure to lock the door tight. His fists were clenched in frustration, but he did a good job of keeping in his irritation. "You may think you'll come out of everything alright," he said, surviving bounties, explosions, and lightning bolts... but someday, boy, you'll find that you're _not_ invincible. Someday... very soon." He straightened. "Rest now, boy. You'll need it for what's to come."

Even though it went against all of Hiccup's senses to fall asleep while in the belly of the beast, his wounded head ached with tiredness by now, and he found himself drifting off.

 _At least Astrid's safe_ , he thought. _And Fishlegs, and Snotlout, and Ruff and Tuff…_

But… what about him?

* * *

Astrid glared up at the laughing Flyers as they soared away. They thought this was some kind of joke? That it was funny? Because it wasn't. Not in the slightest.

When Krogan had said he'd set her _free_ , she somewhat expected being left out on an island somewhere or given a small paddle-boat and set off in the ocean. He'd wanted her alive, after all.

In actuality, it was a blend of the two preconceptions. She'd been taken back to the shipwrecked boat and left there with no provisions – except for her axe, which the Flyers had somehow forgotten had been left there. However, what good would an axe do _here_?

She sighed, knowing that she should start doing something other than moping about how unfair it was. She had to get back to Vanaheim; it was the closest place she knew was safe for her, and Snotlout and the others might be coming from that direction. It was possible she'd meet them on the way. But how could she even get off this boat? She didn't have anything to work with…

Astrid looked over the broken ship, thinking.

Hmm. Maybe she could make some sort of raft out of the wood. It's not like the vessel needed it anymore, and it'd be put into something useful. The quicker she got to her friends, the quicker they could rescue Hiccup. She didn't want to leave him alone with Krogan any longer than she had to.

 _Hiccup._ Oh, Hiccup. He was trapped with a probable madman, injured, sick, and alone… and she had just let herself be taken away. Guilt filled her as she began to chop off some wood with her axe. It was all her fault… she was supposed to _protect_ Hiccup. He had taken care of her when she was wounded and ill, and it was time to repay the favor. But she couldn't do that all the way out here… she'd failed him.

 _WACK._ A piece of wood was hacked from the ship.

Gods, she should've tried harder.

 _WACK._

She should've been stronger.

 _WACK_.

She should've fought back, should've protected him-

"Hey, what did that ship ever do to you?"

Astrid's head swiveled up to the sky so quickly that her neck hurt after, but she was soon numb to anything except shock. "Snotlout! You're – you're back!"

"Sorry we took so long to join the party," he said, glancing at Fishlegs and the twins, who flew behind him. "But we're all ready to kick some Dragon Flyer _butt_!" He grinned, looking around for something to aim Hookfang at, but when he found no enemy, he turned back to Astrid in confusion.

"Wait… hold up, where is everybody? And why are you destroying that thing in the first place?"

Fishlegs let out a nervous squeak. "And _where's Hiccup_?"

Astrid grimly leaned against the hilt on her axe, shaking her head. "You've missed a lot, guys… a _lot_. Hiccup's been captured by Krogan…" Her statement was met with four pairs of gasps. "And," she added, hesitating to admit her innermost concern. "I think they're going to kill him."

* * *

Hours later, Hiccup was awoken by a rather rough shake. He groaned, rolling over, and tried to force himself into attention. That knock to the head had left him woozy and disoriented and it took a minute to process his surroundings.

"What'sagoinon?" he mumbled, opening his eyes to see Krogan's large figure looming over him. He tried to hide his fear and surprise but failed. He swallowed. This couldn't be good.

Krogan smirked, then said, "The time has come for you to confront your past. Johann's just arrived… and he wants to have a little chat with you."

Without another word, he yanked him up from the ground and half-dragged him out of the cell, leading Hiccup to his certain doom…

* * *

 **Sooooo, I'm sorry if this chapter's cringy... I'm exhausted from along day of studying and babysitting (pretending to be a Transformer when you don't know what the heck they do is stressful). XD ANYHOO, thanks, hope you enjoyed, and please R &R!**


	4. Chapter 4

**SORRY FOR THE WAIT. I won't ramble, but I've been CRAZY busy this week! And hey, thank you guys for all those reviews, faves, and follows!**

 **SHOUT-OUTS:**

 **katurdi : YOU ask why I did a cliffie, Mrs. HICCUP-STABBED-AT-END-OF-CHAPTER?! ** **Yep, worried!Astrid is SO AMAZING! :D Thank you! Guess we'll have to see what Johann's up to! THANKS, KAT!**

 **AnaWinchester-Universe67 : YESSSS, CLIFFHANGERS - what else did you expect? :D**

 **brywolf : Aww, thanks!**

 **harrypanther : Yes, there was quite a bit of action in here! Thank you, that means a lot to a writer! :D Johann has lots in store for Hiccup. YES, autocorrect can be so annoying sometimes. XD Thank you, and here it is!**

 **Antox : Really? Yay, THANKS! Sorry for taking awhile, been pretty busy!**

 **The Dreaming Dragon : *blushes* Thank you, that means the world! SORRY FOR THE WAIT! But here's the next chapter!**

 **ElenaTheHyperactiveFangirl14 : Thanks! Yep, poor Hiccup's been through so much, and there's only more coming... :D Great! I've never written Krogan before so I was worried about that. Johann's been a challenge, too. I'll try! :3**

 **DaisytheDoodleDog : WOW, top FIVE?! I feel so honored! XD Thank you!**

 **r-a-e121 : Well, it wasn't the WORST cliffie... *smiles weakly* YES, cheers to torturing Hiccup! Whump is so awesome. YESSS, Purple is THE BEST.**

 **Grizzly98 : BECAUSE I AM ME. THAT'S WHY I MUST DO THIS. Ooh, now that Johann has Hiccup, he has some ideas on getting the last lens from him... :-) **

**Snowflake (Guest #1) : Phew, that's a relief; thanks! Here is the next chapter!**

 **FanWriter02 : Yep, he really is! :-) Johann isn't really one for interrogation - he knows Hiccup won't crack. Too stubborn. Thank you!**

 **Astrid E Lokison : THANKS! Mhm, go get those Flyers; they need to just LEAVE HICCUP ALONE for once! XD**

 **HanikahTheWriter: Yay, glad you like it!**

 **thepurplewriter333 : YEEEPPPPP, lots o' whump! WAHOOOOO, CHILLS! The single greatest achievement a whump writer can earn! Thank you!**

 **goldenauts : Thank you, that means a lot! Yep, Johann can be pretty rough... you're welcome and thanks for reviewing!**

 **BLaiZeRSToRM : Nice, that's what I was going for! :D**

 **Sophia (Guest #2) : Lots of Johann in this chapter! *mysterious smile* He's got lots more planned for our Hiccup in this chapter and the rest! Awww, thank you, that's what I strive to hear! :-)**

 **PsychicWonderKitty : YAY, THAT'S AWESOME! AHHHHH, thanks! I KNOW, RIGHT? Evil!Johann? Didn't see that coming! I love a good Astrid-protecting-Hiccup scene too! Heheh, hope this chapter satisfies those hopes! THANK YOU SO MUCH, KITTY, YOU'RE AWESOME!**

 **aaquater : We'll have to see about Johann! :D Oh, well, Snotlout had the whole night to fly to Vanaheim and back with the other Riders, so not much story to tell there! Wow, THANK YOU, that means so much! (I know I say that a lot, but seriously, THANK YOU! :D)**

 **Darklightningstorm : :D It's fun to write, too.**

 **ThePhoenixGirl:** **Sorry for the wait! Been really busy!**

 **This chapter is dedicated to katurdi. I hope you feel better! :3 ENJOY, THIS 5K MONSTER, GUYS!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4:**

Hiccup was dragged through the hallways, only managing to stand up half-way through the journey. Krogan had no pity for him, not even sparing a glance at his struggling form. They soon reached the end of the hall where they began to ascend a staircase that led abovedeck.

When Krogan paused, Hiccup had time to look at the sunlight, blinking away the sudden glare. Before he had time to recover, Krogan yanked him away into another room – someone's quarters. Hiccup knew who's it was without a doubt…

Johann stood inside, back turned to them as he stared at a map tacked over the background wall. He continued looking at it even after they had entered, but finally faced them when Krogan closed the door, a dirty look stretched across his face.

"Why am I here?" Hiccup panted before anyone else could say something. "Are you going to kill me privately? Is that it?"

Johann scowled. "I _wish_ I could kill you. But, as _both_ of you know, I have one last lens to get that I'm running out of time to find. Time that I _can't_ … afford… to lose…"

"Yeah, I mean, you really can't." Hiccup managed a smile, and Krogan tightened his grip on his arm in response. "We're so close to finding our last lens and you're lagging pretty far behind… better step up your game if you want to win…"

Johann slammed his hands down on the table in front of him, eyes shooting daggers. Hiccup flinched.

"I'm not going to interrogate you for the location of your lenses," Johann spat. "We both know that's useless. I have other plans for you."

"Like what?" Hiccup asked.

He scoffed. "As if I'd give everything away – I'm no fool, like Dagur, or Viggo, or any of the others… you won't be getting any slip-ups from me, _Hiccup_. Nor any special treatment. I don't care what happens to you, only that you're out of the way, one way or another… preferably in a way where I _don't_ see you coming back to _save the day_ again."

Though Hiccup had faced down countless enemies, he could help but feel nervous listening to Johann. It was just so unsettling to see a former friend – if he ever was one – suddenly filled with such malice.

"Even if you get rid of me _and_ the other Riders, there'll always be others protecting the King of Dragons," Hiccup said. "If you think otherwise, you're a fool."

"You think me a _fool_? Well, think again, Hiccup Haddock III, because _this_ fool just captured you and is about to destroy your precious dragons. What do you think of that?"

Hiccup paused. "I _think_ that it was Krogan who captured me… not you. Which makes you an _incompetent_ fool, as well…?"

"I had the girl removed as you requested, Johann," Krogan said before things could escalate any further. "I had some of the Dragon Flyers dropped her off on the-"

" _Remember_ who our company is! Do not disclose any information that could benefit the prisoner here."

Hiccup frowned. "Come on, Johann, enough… why I am here? I know you didn't just bring me here to chat."

Johann looked as if he was going to shout some more, but his expression slowly relaxed back into a sinister smirk. "Why are you here? Well, I'll give you the short answer: I have some handy-work that needs to be done… quite important physical labor that I think you're the only one, ah, _capable_ of completing."

" _Handy-work_?" That couldn't be his plan. Johann was too tricky for that – he'd fooled Hiccup and all of Berk for years, after all. No. He must've had something else up his tunic planned for him. But he couldn't imagine what… or _why_ he was still alive. Something just wasn't adding up…

"I think it might do you some good to get put in your proper place," said Johann. "Working for _me_. Now, Krogan, I see you've done your job and _finally_ obtained the boy. The master will be pleased to hear that… take him back to his cell for now; we must discuss things in _private_."

Though irritated at being commanded around by his partner, Krogan threw Hiccup a black look, then tugged him out of Johann's quarters. Hiccup cringed at his harsh movements, still sore and exhausted. Each pull sent his head pounding, making him loathe head injuries further.

Within a minute or two, he was back in his cell and left there alone by a disgruntled Krogan. Upon seeing him shivering, however, Krogan gave him a mangy black blanket. It didn't look nice, but it was large and would protect him from the cold.

Pulling it around him, he leaned against the wall for a bit while trying to steady his painfully resonating heartbeat.

He couldn't keep his mind off Johann's words… _Handy-work_ … what handy-work? What physical labor could _he_ accomplish in this state? Even for someone as resourceful as him, he just couldn't figure it out.

…no matter. He had his own plans – while Krogan had been stewing over his frustration of being treated as Johann's servant, he hadn't paid attention to Hiccup for a short while… leaving him time to swipe a key to his cell from him. There'd been two, thank Thor, and when Krogan had locked him in, he hadn't noticed the loss of his other one.

He took the key from his vest and stared at it for a long moment. He was getting out of here.

After Krogan's footsteps had faded away, he dropped his blanket in the back of the cell, curling it up so it might look as if he was sleeping underneath to a passerby. Then he limped over to the cell door, reaching around the bars to insert the stolen key into the hole. He was on the verge of collapse and wasn't even sure what he'd do when he got out, but he was going to take this chance and hope for the best.

Taking in a breath, he stepped into the hall.

* * *

"Why is he still alive?" Krogan growled at Johann upon reentering his quarters. "We have no use for him for work; didn't you see him, he could barely stand!"

Johann shot him a nasty look. "Do you _honestly_ think I'm keeping that brat alive for _labor_? No. I have far greater plans for Hiccup Haddock III than that."

"Then tell me – I'm tired of being kept in the dark!"

"Fine," he barked. "I'll be blunt with you: I'm going to have Hiccup look for the last Dragon Eye lens. Those things come to him like Gronckles to rocks and he'll find one soon enough for us. I already have an idea of where the next lens is. He'll bring it right into our hands without him even realizing it's happening, with luck."

Krogan frowned. "That's a risky plan, Johann. What if the boy finds it and hides it from us? Or uses it for his own purposes? It's too much of a gamble. I say we kill him and then go after the other Dragon Riders-"

"Remember who the master left in charge," Johann said smoothly, fingering the map on the wall. There were several 'X's drawn on top of it, several crossed on top of the area where Vanaheim was thought to be. "I make the decisions around here. And that won't happen – we'll have several eyes trained on Hiccup's every move. There will be no way he can escape, and the moment he finds the lens, he'll be killed." He smirked. "I have this all planned out, and more."

"What about the girl? Why did we let her go? We should've killed _her_ when we had the chance!"

"Hiccup would've refused to work for us if we killed her in front of him. Apparently, they have a bit of a _thing_. And plus, I have other plans for her and the other Riders… ones that will get them out of the way and bring Hiccup to his knees."

Krogan opened his mouth to voice another protest but was unable to speak before a Dragon Flyer barged through the door, eyes panicked behind his mask.

Johann slammed his hands down on his table for the second time in five minutes, growling, " _I told you not to interrupt_!"

The Flyer shook his head, panting. "Er – sorry, sir, but there's an emergency-!"

" _What_?" he snapped. What was so important that these incompetent fools of Dragon Flyers disobeyed direct orders?

"The ship… it's – it's on fire!"

"So, put it out!" Krogan was not amused either.

"But there's one more thing." The Flyer seemed almost ashamed. "The prisoner has escaped, as well…"

Johann's body shook with barely contained fury, and his expression morphed into a scowl with such immense hatred that it scared even Krogan. " _HICCUP_ …!"

* * *

Hiccup hadn't been quite sure what his plan would be when he had escaped, but the one he'd made up as he went along hadn't been half bad. What else was better to distract his captives than fire? Guards came by his prison every five or ten minutes, but with a little explosion, they might forget to come by.

He'd found a still-burning torch in a side room he'd hid in when he heard someone coming down the hallway, and grabbed it, thinking it useful. He was glad he had, because the next time he hid out in a room, he found several containers of Monstrous Nightmare gel… and he'd had an idea. He wouldn't make it off the ship in time – that is, without help. And a fire just might've been the help he needed so much.

And so, he'd pocketed five containers of the Nightmare gel, only planning to use a few but thinking some might come in handy later. When the footsteps had faded, he'd smeared a trail of the gel along the walls, and after he'd used it all up, tipped the torch towards it.

When things had started exploding, he'd ducked his head and clambered up the stairs that led abovedeck. _That_ ought to give him some extra time.

It was slow-going up the steps, but he eventually made it, stepping into the sunshine and continuing his way across the deck. By now, he was ready to drop, possibly more exhausted than he'd ever been in his life, but he forced himself to keep going, depending on the comforting memories of his family and friends to keep him going.

 _I'm almost there, guys_ , he thought to himself, gritting his teeth against his headache. He glanced around the ship as he walked across it, looking for some sort of boat or raft he could use to leave the ship. He was really in no state to sail, but anything was better than spending another minute in that cell.

He frowned, not seeing any getaways. An invisible timer ticked at the back of his head, warning him that the guards must've realized he'd escaped by now. There was yelling in the background, signifying the fire had been noticed. He heard doors slam open as people rushed out of their quarters to see what was going on.

Panicked at the thought of being seen, Hiccup tried to walk faster to the side of the ship, but only succeeded in falling on his face. He groaned at the impact and tried to push himself up but before he could stand himself, he felt someone grab the back of his vest and yank him to his feet.

He turned his head to see Johann holding him up, one of his nastiest glowers on his face. He didn't speak, only giving a furious grunt as he began to drag Hiccup across the deck. Hiccup struggled, though it was futile. Johann reached his quarters and threw him inside, crashing the door behind him.

From the floor, Hiccup panted, his body aching from being tossed. "Why haven't you killed me yet? I'm not an idiot. You hate me – you'd kill me no hesitation any old day. You even tried before I knew you were a spy."

"You've gotten smarter, I'll admit," Johann said, sitting down in his chair and scrutinizing Hiccup's prone form coldly.

"What do you what me for, then? You lied… you don't need me for manual labor."

Johann scowled. "I didn't lie, Hiccup. I do need you for labor… labor searching for something very precious to the both of us. I need you to find the last Dragon Eye lens for me, because time's running out for me and I know you and your little friends will never hand over yours."

Hiccup couldn't conceal his shocked expression.

"What? Surprised I'm telling you this? I admit, I am too, but I know you'd figure it out soon enough. There's no use in being dishonest with each other anymore, is there, _Hiccup_?"

"…I don't know where the last lens is."

"And so, you don't. But I do. I have sufficient information to believe it's on Vanaheim. You see, I realized that dear Heather and her maniacal brother's father lived there, didn't he? And they both had Dragon Eye lenses given to them _by_ their father, correct? After putting those thoughts together, it wasn't hard to make sense of the situation… Oswald the Agreeable must've had a lens as well, and it must be on Vanaheim." He stood from his seat, crossing his arms. "And so, Hiccup, you're going to look for it and if you dare to try anything, I will not only kill you but _everyone_ you know and love in front of your eyes."

Hiccup swallowed. "How – how do you even know it's there? It might not be…"

"I guess you'd better pray it is, or there'll be consequences. You start looking in the morning; we're setting sail for Vanaheim today. And Hiccup? I'm not an idiot either. I didn't send your girl away to be _nice_. I know your friends will come after you, and when they find the girl, she'll tell them where we are, and they'll all come back here. But what they don't know is that we're switching boats, and when they come back to this one, all they'll find is a _seemingly_ abandoned ship…"

It took Hiccup a moment to process his words, and when he finally realized their meaning, he gasped, shaking his head. "No, Johann… no, please…"

"Setting the boat on fire was a clever idea, Hiccup." He smirked. "One that I think I'll be borrowing. I hope you said formidable goodbyes to your friends before, because I'm afraid you won't get another chance to say farewell. And now that everything seems to be cleared up… it's time to be transferred to the other ship now. We have to prepare for your friends' arrival, of course… they'll be arriving soon."

Before Hiccup knew it, a couple of Flyers were storming inside the room and dragging him off. All Hiccup could do was throw Johann one last desperate look and pray to Odin to save his friends.

* * *

"And they just let you go like that?"

"Yeah," Astrid replied to Fishlegs, who had just landed Toothless next to her (Meatlug flew beside them). She rubbed the Night Fury's head, chest panging at his lonesome whines for his rider. "Why?"

"That doesn't sound right at all," he said, frowning.

"I know it doesn't, but I just can't think of why Johann would tell Krogan to let me go. When – when they took me, I thought maybe they just wanted to kill Hiccup when he was alone and then kill all the dragons in front of us or something else sadistic…" The mention of Hiccup had her worrying again, her frets clouding her mind.

"Even I agree it's sketchy," Tuffnut said suspiciously. He jumped off Belch onto part of the ship beside Astrid, followed by Ruffnut.

"Something's not adding up," Ruffnut agreed.

Snotlout put his hands on his hips. " _Really_ not adding up."

"We don't have time to figure out every one of Johann's plans!" Astrid said, frustrated. "We need to get back to Hiccup as fast as possible. Krogan and Johann – you've seen them, they don't show any mercy. We have to save him…"

"And we will," said Fishlegs. "We just need a _plan_ first. I understand you want to get Hiccup back – we _all_ do, Hiccup's our best friend! – but we all know by now what happens when we go into things blindly. Can you think of anything Krogan said that might give something away…?"

Astrid tried to think, but it was hard to. "Only that he had plans for us that I guess Hiccup wasn't a part of."

"But what plans?" Snotlout wondered.

"I don't know for sure, but I bet something dealing with the Dragon Eye lenses."

Fishlegs, who had been deep in thought, suddenly squealed, "Oh, wait, Astrid – I almost forgot to tell you!" He reached inside his tunic and came out with something in his hands. Astrid was confused for a moment until he opened his palm, so she could see what was inside. "It seems Oswald had more secrets than we thought." He grinned down at their fifth Dragon Eye lens. "We found this hidden in his home."

She gaped. "How…? I can't believe it… another lens hidden beneath our noses this whole time…"

"We really need some sort of lens-detector," Tuffnut said seriously.

Ruffnut's head bobbed. "Who knows where else they've been hidden this whole time?"

Astrid rolled her eyes. "Look… we aren't helping Hiccup by standing here and – and just _thinking_. We have to _do_ something. Hiccup's always been there for us, and so we're going to be there for him." She glanced at Fishlegs. "Plan or no plan."

Fishlegs eventually nodded. "It may not be the smartest thing to do, but Hiccup's irreplaceable, and I'm not going to risk my friend's life any longer. At least… at least the lenses are safe. That way the King of Dragons will still be protected in case something goes…"

"Horribly and horrendously wrong?" Tuffnut piped in.

Fishlegs blinked. "Yes, that's one way to put it, Tuff… So, we'll just do the typical scouting and infiltration, then? A crude plan is better than none at all."

The Riders all nodded their consent.

"Thanks, guys," Astrid said as they boarded their dragons, Stormfly flying alone this time so Astrid could ride Toothless. "You've been… a really, really great team, and I'm sorry for putting you in this much danger-"

"Say no more." Snotlout raised a hand to cut her off, smiling grimly. "Hiccup's our friend and our leader. We wouldn't have it any other way. And if we end up being blasted to oblivion in the end, then we're blasted to oblivion… but not without kicking some butt first, eh?"

Astrid gave a laugh for what seemed to be the first time in a while. "Yeah, Snotlout. We'll do that." She faced the other Riders, who looked at her in anticipation. "You ready?"

Fishlegs grinned, gesturing ahead. "Lead the way."

* * *

Johann's back-up ship was setting sail, leaving the first one behind. Dragon Flyers were set in place on the other boat, prepared to attack the Riders as soon as they came aboard.

Meanwhile, Hiccup was locked in Johann's new quarters. The villain hadn't trusted him to be left alone as a witness to far too many of his escapes and vowed to make sure that Hiccup would remain his prisoner till he was done with him. His hands were bound, prosthetic leg removed, and he was tied near the side of the room.

Hiccup had been pretending to be confident that his friends would turn out okay, but as the minutes ticked away, so did his faith. Out of Johann's window, he could see his friends advancing inside so sneakily they were barely noticeable. And no one would've noticed them enter, either, if not for the back-up ship watching from the shadows.

Seeing Johann laugh at the sight of the Riders thinking they were undiscovered and safe made Hiccup sick with worry. His friends were about to be killed in front of him, and there was nothing he could do about it. He pulled against the ropes binding him, but there was no way out.

"Please don't do this," he said to Johann, resorting to pleading. "I'll do anything."

"Even tell me where your lenses are?"

As much as Hiccup wanted to say yes, he remembered that time when all his friends had agreed that no matter what was threatened against them, the King of Dragons was more important. Even Ruff and Tuff were solemn then… everyone meant it. He couldn't go back on that promise.

He kept silent.

Still, as he heard panicked shouting in the distance, his desperation grew. He struggled once more but was again powerless to do anything. Biting his lip, he could only stare through the window in horror as the other ship burst into a fiery inferno of flames.

* * *

Astrid was startled by the change of events.

When she and the other Riders had begun to scout out the boat, it had seemed pretty much abandoned. But that couldn't be – Hiccup was here. He had been just a couple hours ago, locked away underdeck. She was confused at the mysterious vacancy, her mind screaming that something was wrong, but she was unable to pinpoint what. And so, they'd gone below deck, Astrid too eager to find Hiccup to wait any longer.

Once they were all below, things got weirder. Snotlout had smelled something funny, but eerily familiar, and quickly recognized it as Monstrous Nightmare gel. And then they'd seen Nightmare gel spread all across the ship – the walls, the floor, the ceiling… everything. Before they could figure out why it was there, there was a flicker of light near the staircase they'd descended… a hiss… an acrid smell of smoke…

And then an explosion.

"IT'S A TRAP!" Fishlegs had screamed as they'd been blown back by the blast. Their dragons squawked in alarm, snarling at the invisible intruders in the dark. Astrid cursed herself for not realizing it before; some Flyers must've hidden out inside the ship, and when the Riders had arrived, trapped them inside with the now-uncontrollable fire.

She felt awful for being so stupid. Looking back, the fact that there was an ambush was _so so_ obvious. How had she missed the signs? How had she fallen for it? _Stupid…_

But she didn't have time to play the blame game. Hiccup needed her right now. She looked down the end of the hall, where the blaze was spreading to. That was the direction she remembered Hiccup's cell being. She gritted her teeth. "Let's go!"

She was glad they'd left Stormfly and Meatlug waiting for them outside in case they needed them for an emergency get-away; it looked as if they might need their help.

"HICCUP!" she called through the fire as she stumbled down the hall. The other Riders shadowed her as quickly as possible, but the inferno was growing fast as they hurried through, all calling for their missing friend.

After another long, hard-going minute, they arrived at the cell in the back where Astrid and Hiccup had been kept earlier. She ducked her head to cough for a couple of seconds and then lifted it again to look inside the cell.

It was hard to see between all the smoke, flames, and cell bars, but she could make out a slight figure of something at the back of the cell. It was limp and dark, yet vaguely humanoid. She coughed into her arm again, then yelled, " _Hiccup_?"

Behind her, the fire crackled louder, and her friends hollered in alarm. Astrid grabbed at the cell door, pulling it, but nothing happened; it was locked… and she didn't have the key.

" _NO_! _NO NO NO NO NO_! Open… _HICCUP_!" She tried again, ignoring how much her eyes were watering and how painful her coughs had become. She had to get to Hiccup! She loved him and she had to save him… However, she could feel herself growing weak and tired. She and the other Riders wouldn't last too much longer trapped in this blaze.

"HICCUP! Aargh, _stupid_ door!"

Beside her, Toothless screeched worriedly, scratching at the barrier that separated him from his rider. He shot a plasma blast at the cell lock, and the door was blasted open. Fighting back the urge to collapse, Astrid rushed inside. " _Hiccup_ -!"

She knelt on the ground where the figure was, shaking it. A horrible feeling festered in the pit of her stomach – one that she couldn't fight away.

"Hiccup… _Hiccup_!"

As she shook the blanketed shape harder, she realized something was horrifyingly wrong. Beneath the dark blanket on top of the form, she felt… nothing. There was only cloth, no body or bones or the familiar warmth of another human. All too quickly, she realized that this was _not_ Hiccup and she jumped back, terrified.

 _What was going on?_

"Astrid!" Fishlegs coughed from the cell entrance. "You have… Hiccup? Because we have… to go…!"

All she could do was stare, eyes wide in terror. "It isn't… Hiccup… he's not here! This isn't him, he's not…"

Though Fishlegs looked surprised, he still shook his head, pointing towards the exit. "Astrid… we have to go… _now_ , or we're going to die! Hiccup must… not be here… has to be with Johann… we have a chance to leave and try to save him, but we can do that… dead!"

"We can't leave now!" came Snotlout's voice, and he and Hookfang soon appeared from the flames, panting. "Entrance… is blocked… Flyers barricaded it… and the fire's too intense!"

"What about… the dragons?" Ruffnut coughed. "They _breathe_ fire! Can't they… help?"

Hookfang, the most flammable dragon of them all, chose that moment to whine weakly and lower his head. All of the dragons were obviously too exhausted to help get through the barrier.

"So, we're trapped here," Astrid said miserably. As she had yet another coughing fit, she realized that they might not make it out. _They might die._

But no! She couldn't die! Hiccup needed her!

Staggering over to the side of the ship, she pounded against the wood, and then made a hoarse Nadder call…

 _Oh, please hear me, Stormfly…_

Hopefully, her dragon was near enough to hear her and rescue them. Because no one in here had any strength left to save themselves.

Nothing happened. A weakened Fishlegs collapsed to his knees, followed by Ruffnut a moment later. Snotlout and Tuffnut didn't look much better off but tried to help their friends up. Astrid squeezed her swollen eyes shut and pounded on the ship again.

 _Please, please, please…_

There was nothing. She sank to her knees, losing hope…

 _KA-BOOM!_ Another explosion blasted through the end of the ship where the Riders were, creating an opening to the outside. In the gap, Stormfly squawked and flapped her wings. Meatlug hovered next to her and gave a roar.

"That's my girl!" Fishlegs squealed, head snapping up at the sound of his Gronckle coming to save them. With a grin, he pushed himself to his feet and limped over to her. Meatlug grabbed the back of his tunic with her teeth and carried him off.

"Wait for us!" Ruffnut cried, and she and her brother managed to get on a feeble Barf and Belch. They soon disappeared through the hole, followed by Snotlout on Hookfang.

Astrid was the only one left on the ship, staring back at the blanketed form in horror. If she left, there was no going back… the boat was going down one way or another, and nothing would be able to be salvaged. _Nothing_. That meant, if Hiccup was still in here…

"ASTRID! COME ON!"

Eyes watering from more than just the smoke, Astrid managed to tear herself away from the cell and hurry over to the hole where Stormfly awaited her. She pulled herself onto her Nadder's back just in time to escape a final explosion that was so powerful it knocked all of them back.

"HICCUP! _HICCUP_!"

Sweat dripped in her eyes. There was no way anyone could've survived that explosion.

She thought back to being inside the cell… The figure… the blanket… the emptiness, no warmth… or was there? Panicked, she couldn't quite remember if she _had_ felt anything or not… maybe she'd been distracted in there, and it _was…_ what if Hiccup really had been…

Oh, gods, maybe it really _was_ Hiccup.

And maybe she'd just left him there… left him in an exploding ship to… to die.

As Stormfly flew her further out to reach where her friends had gathered, she cried out in horror, and despite her hoarse voice, screamed, " _NO_! HICCUP! _NOOOOO_!"

But the inferno raged on, and the ship gave one final roar as it at last sank beneath the cold, unforgiving sea…

* * *

 ***pin drops***


	5. Chapter 5

**...first of all, before you guys start screaming at me, I'M SO SORRY TO LEAVE YOU GUYS OFF THERE FOR SIX MONTHS, THAT WAS REALLY UNFAIR.**

 **Second... thanks for your guys' concern. I'm okay. I just had a lot going on in my personal life and needed to step back before I stressed myself out with too many things. I'm back now, though, and _slightly_ less stressed out XD Thank you, my wonderful readers, for staying with me for so long. You guys are SERIOUSLY the best.**

 **BELATED SHOUT-OUTS:**

 **katurdi : You were slightly off. I made this chapter a freaking 7K+ words. *facepalm* ...oops?**

 **DaisytheDoodleDog : Thank you so much! And no, this story is mainly centered around Hiccup!whump, so Astrid will not be hurt in this fic, nor Toothless :-)**

 **goldenauts : We'll see what Astrid does this chapter! Thank you for your kind words!**

 **BLaiZeRSToRM : Aww, thanks XD Nahhh, too many of us enjoy whump!**

 **thepurplewriter333 : I DID IT BECAUSE I'M ME, OKAY. ...sorry for the long wait, heheh... AND, NO, I DO NOT NEED THAT AXE.**

 **ElenaTheHyperactiveFangirl14 : Thank you! Yay, I'm so glad I had Johann in character!**

 **call-me-ocean : Aww, you're so sweet, thank you! Wow, really? I guess I'm a walking... diction _ani_. ;-)**

 **Astrid E Lokison : DEFEAT THOSE DRAGON HUNTERS!**

 **Darklightningstorm : Sorry, I'm not really one to make characters harm each other to a torture extent - I like the hurt/comfort part of whump best :-)**

 **r-a-e121 : I. DON'T. KNOWWWWW.**

 **Valkyrie (Guest #1) : Johann didn't keep Astrid as leverage because he _really_ hates all the Riders and doesn't want them getting in his way again, so he thought the lack of leverage was worth it. However, in this chapter, we'll get to see another form of leverage brought to the table! Johann's pretty smart. Thank you!**

 **aaquater : Poor Astrid, indeed. *shakes head* Ohhh, now I understand about Vanaheim! Yep, the Guardians are up and ready to fight - we see a little bit of that this chapter, in fact! We'll see about Fishlegs, though... he's a pretty smart guy!**

 **Guest (#2) : Why not?**

 **Guest (#3) : Because I can.**

 **Scribblefoxx : Thanks!**

 **The Dreaming Dragon : So sorry for the wait!**

 **Liz (Guest #4) : Thank you!**

 **NightFuryTL : I'm so sorry for making you wait!**

 **hiccstridhumor : I think relationships are the least of Krogan's concerns XD**

 **girlwithanimagination03 : Thank you! As for the line breaks, there should be an option to put lines right next to the center paragraph option. You'll have to copy and paste your document into the doc manager, save it, then go back and edit to see :-)**

 **WyldClaw : Indeed!**

 **GodzillaFan4555 (Guest #5) : Yep.**

 **Romantica 21 : (1) Sorry, I just had a _lottttt_ going on in my personal life. We're all people on here - you understand :-) Thank you for waiting! (2) So sorry - here it is at last!**

 **Imagine333 : I will! Thanks for waiting!**

 **SunshineGirl14 : Thank you so much! I'm sorry I disappeared so abruptly. I'm okay. Thank you, Sunshine, I really appreciate it!**

 **Guest (#6) : HERE IT IS!**

 **Tahilbahli (Guest #7) : (1) Mhm! (2) Oh, good! Thank you! I _think_ a Transformer is a kind of robot, but I'm not really sure. (3) I say handy-work, but it might be handiwork... not sure! Thanks!**

 **Sydney B (Guest #8) : *bows head in shame* I'm so sorry for making you wait. Hopefully this chapter will satisfy!**

 **Guest (#9) : Here I am! :-)**

 **Next chapter will be last. It's been a lonngggg journey and I don't want to force you guys to wait any longer! Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews. Enjoy your long-awaited chapter!**

* * *

Chapter 5:

" _NO_!"

Hiccup watched the sinking ship in horror as it was submerged beneath the waves. There was no way anyone could've survived that eruption. Oh gods. His friends. They… they were gone.

He felt numb, brain not quite registering what had just happened.

No. _No_ … they couldn't be _gone_ … they were the Dragon Riders, and they'd survived much worse than this. They had to be okay. They _had to be_. Nausea bloomed in his gut as he tried to convince himself.

 _Oh, Odin, please-_

"Set sail for Vanaheim!" Johann's voice barked to someone outside his quarters, and then he came back inside, slamming the door. He'd left momentarily to watch the Dragon Riders' demise from outside. Hiccup had to observe from the window. Every single painful second of it he had watched… unable to look away. Even now, he looked out at the burning ship, praying for some kind of sign that his friends were alright… alas, there was none.

They were gone.

All his friends… his dragons… the people he loved the most in this world… were dead. A hollow ache gnawed inside of him so fiercely that he fell slack against his bindings, unable to bear the weight of it all.

"Thought they'd escape, did you?" said Johann, his voice an uncaring sneer.

Hiccup was about to snap.

That was it. Johann had taken _everything_ from him. And yet, here he was, unfazed by the deaths of people he used to know. People he used to call _friends._

The hollowness inside him still remained, but Hiccup was filled with a new kind of hatred that he'd never felt before. This mind-clearing, heavy spite was enough to give him strength to look up and look Johann dead in the eye.

"I'll kill you. I'm going… _to kill you_."

Johann laughed. "Oh? And how do you suppose you're going to do that?"

Hiccup's chest tightened in a kind of anger that scared him, but before he had the chance to speak, something caught his eye out the window. It was just a flash of something slight, and only one with a trained eye would be able to pick up on it. Having to be on high alert looking out for Dragon Hunters for years, Hiccup could say in confidence that he had grown to be an observant person.

There was definitely something out there. But… what?

Forcing his expression to remain upset so that Johann wouldn't grow suspicious, he peered closer. Around the burning flames of the sinking ship, he saw a silhouette of a creature (or was there more than one?) fly over the fire. A few moments later, it was confirmed that there was not only one, but several of these creatures.

 _Could it be…?_

His heart hammered against his ribcage in an uneven palpitation as his emotions bubbled. He swallowed thickly.

 _They're alive._

 _My friends… the dragons… they're alive._

He was stunned, yet slack with relief – and he had a thousand questions to mull over; but he realized Johann was getting suspicious of his staring and quickly averted his eyes. Still, Johann was smart, and began to turn towards the window. He knew something was up.

Hiccup grew desperate and quickly realized he needed to do _something_ to get the attention from the window and onto something else, and that something else had to be him. In a moment of frenzied desperation, he kicked out and hit Johann's legs as hard as he could.

Though his feet were bound, that didn't mean he couldn't move at all.

Johann grunted at the impact, stumbling, but he caught himself before he fell. He cursed loudly, mumbling obscenities about Hiccup and what he was going to do to him once he had the last lens, but Hiccup wasn't paying attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the dragons he'd seen waiting by the ship fall out of view and breathed out in relief.

The other Riders were safe. And that was all that mattered.

Steaming, but unable to do anything serious to Hiccup just yet, Johann grabbed him roughly and began tightening his bindings' knots to the point where Hiccup knew he was going to have rope burns for weeks.

"Try getting out of _that_ ," Johann spat.

"I'll do that," Hiccup replied, not missing a beat. He glared at his enemy, despising him for what he'd _almost_ accomplished ( _but_ hadn't; _remember, the others are still alive_ ).

There were still a few hours till they reached Vanaheim – maybe enough time for his friends to track him down and find him. Now, he just had to wait for them to rescue him… this was clearly out of his hands now. He'd do whatever he could to escape, but knew it was unwise to expect the best-case scenario.

"Thorspeed, gang," he murmured under his breath.

 _And, for the gods' sake, please hurry up._

* * *

"Hiccup," Astrid whispered, looking back over her shoulder as Toothless flew them out. She coughed at the smoke that continued to chase them from far away. Her eyes were watering, but she didn't care. All she cared about was that the last place she'd seen Hiccup in was exploding into flames.

If he had been in there, he would be… he'd be…

"No… _no_ … w-we have to go back! Hiccup's – the ship – we have to–"

Throat thick and face contorted in horror, she glanced at the burning vessel again.

 _Hiccup._

She tried to convince herself that he wasn't under that blanket. But she just wasn't sure… and that killed her. Even if he hadn't been in the cell… who's to say he wasn't on that ship somewhere else? What if he was in another part of the boat, chained to the wall and weakly shouting for help as smoke filled the air… calling for Astrid to save him as he sank to his knees, suffocating in the heavy smoke… eyes blurring as his last bit of reality faded with the hope that his friends would reach him in time… and ultimately unable to be saved.

A scream choked at her throat. She felt too empty to let it out.

Hiccup was… he was gone. No one could survive that size of an inferno. The Riders had barely got out in time themselves. And… and even if, in some small chance he hadn't been on the ship… she knew in her heart that Johann hated Hiccup beyond any other being. He'd kill him if he got his hands on him. Or worse.

And Astrid had just… walked out on Hiccup. Leaving him to Johann's wrath. All alone.

 _Gods. No. No no no no no…_

Astrid kept her eyes focused on the fire, stomach churning. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see her hand tremble as she tightened her grip on Toothless's saddle. She felt sick, all alone, and worse – she felt like it was all her fault Hiccup had ended up… like this. Guilt washed over her, and shame quickly followed in its footsteps.

She had let those Flyers drag her away… let Hiccup lay there, staring up with those sad, sad eyes that would haunt her forever… and she hadn't even done anything. She had barely fought back, hadn't tried to escape or force the Riders to come back sooner for him… and now look what had happened! He was gone… maybe _dead._

And it was all her fault.

Oh, gods, _why had this happened?!_

Her lip trembled with unbidden tears that threatened to spill – but no. She swallowed away the lump in her throat. She didn't have time to grieve. She had to act like a Viking and channel her rage into something useful – like getting her revenge on that skulking, disgusting half-troll _Johann_.

The very thought of the man had her gritting her teeth with blood-curdling malice. Johann deserved every last bit of what he was going to get.

Her white-hot anger must've been apparent to the others because she realized they were giving her slightly concerned looks.

"What?" she snapped. "Am I the only one thinking of going after Johann and _destroying him_?"

The twins opened their mouths to say something (probably about how they were all too happy to get to destroying things) but Fishlegs interrupted.

"I'm all for going after Johann, but, Astrid – I'm… I'm confused. We know Hiccup wasn't under the blanket, right…? Yet… you think he's dead."

"I… I'm not sure if he was left on that ship or not, but..." Her voice grew void of emotion. "Do you really think Johann would've kept him alive after Hiccup refused to tell him the location of the dragon eye lenses – and we all know he wouldn't have broken. Even in the end, h-he always thinks about others. Not once himself… never… himself…" Her voice cracked.

"Astrid… hey. Hey." Fishlegs' voice was gentle, and she looked up from the ship to his face. "Hiccup's body wasn't under the blanket, and we have no way of knowing for sure that he's dead. So, until we have proof otherwise… I'm going to believe he's still alive. You feel bad for leaving him… I get it. But that doesn't mean Johann couldn't have had another agenda. Maybe he needs Hiccup for something else. Maybe… maybe he's still keeping him alive!"

She shuddered. "Hiccup's gotten in the way of dozens – no, most likely _hundreds_ of Johann's plans. Johann must _loathe_ him. If Hiccup's still alive, and he's with Johann…" Gods. Her own sentence made her breath hitch.

She'd never say it aloud, but she didn't know if she'd prefer Hiccup dead or Hiccup in the hands of a malicious man like Johann. It was just plain selfish to hope he was alive – because if he was alive, he was suffering, for sure. And that was too painful for her heart to bear.

"In any case, we're going after Johann," Snotlout said. Astrid could tell he was conflicted by the previous events, but he seemed as if he didn't believe Hiccup was dead. That, or he refused to accept it. "If Hiccup's alive, Johann probably took him with him for…" He glanced at Astrid cautiously. "…some other scheme. But, even if Hiccup really is, um… you know… which is highly unlikely! …then I say we follow after Traitor Johann and kick his butt off the end of the earth."

"I second that!" Ruffnut said, though the seriousness of the situation dampened her usual vitality.

Astrid squinted at the spot where the now-sunken ship had disappeared, thinking of the last time she'd seen Hiccup… remembering that sad look he gave her as she was pulled away. Had he known his fate? Had he known the end even then?

She didn't know. But she did know one thing –

"If it's the last thing I do, Johann will _pay_ for what he's done. Not only to us, but to Hiccup and all the dragons. He's taken so much from us and the archipelago. He's a tyrant that needs to be stopped. And now is the time to end this... _for Hiccup_."

"For Hiccup," her friends chorused back, and she sensed a grim unity between them. One way or another, they were going to find out the truth and either save… or avenge their leader.

* * *

It was hours later that Hiccup was jerked from a feverish sleep. He didn't remember passing out and was disoriented when he suddenly heard alarming sounds. Sounds that were coming from outside.

There were explosions and blasts that occasionally rocked their tiny vessel. Hiccup knew the noises well enough to identify them as dragon – a dragon fighting something. Hope welled up in his chest, and his heart raced ahead a few beats.

 _Finally_! His friends had come for him!

"I'm here!" he shouted as loud as he could manage, struggling against his binds. They felt somewhat looser, but Johann was an expert knot-tier – he had a long way to go before he was free. "In the main quarters!"

"Expecting company, Hiccup?"

The door to the room was suddenly thrust open, revealing a surprisingly dishelved Johann.

"Think your friends might raise from their watery grave and rescue you, eh?" he sneered.

Hiccup gave him his best glare. "Maybe they will. Odin might let them come back for worthy, unfinished business… destroying _you_."

Johann's face went purple, and he opened his mouth… but then closed it, looking suspicious. He squinted at him. "You're acting strange."

 _You're acting obnoxious._ But he couldn't say that. He couldn't get Johann any more worked up than he was now – as enjoyable as it was to infuriate him, he didn't feel like being rough-handled again.

"Must be grief. I'm a sensitive soul."

Johann pursed his lips but was interrupted by another explosion that rocked the boat.

"What was that?" Hiccup asked.

"Be quiet."

"Dragons, right? Which ones? Why? We must be close to Vanaheim, but I know you killed the Guardians…" He still grieved at the memory of seeing their lifeless forms.

"If you want something done right, do it yourself!" Johann threw his hands up in frustration. "Those idiot Flyers didn't _finish_ the job… but I will." Turning on his heel, he slammed the door again, shouting orders to his crew and cursing the gods.

After a moment of shock, Hiccup grinned with realization. Things were better than he had hoped for – the Guardians were alive! He didn't know how, but he had the strangest suspicion that his friends had something to do with it. In any case, he felt a fleeting rush of joy that he only felt when a dragon's life was saved.

Johann was far from victory today.

For the longest time, Hiccup heard screaming on deck… and then roaring. The ship was knocked back and forth and few times, teetering dangerously on the waves before it finally settled. After a few more shouts, everything was silent.

Hiccup held his breath.

"THE BEASTS ARE DOWN!"

 _NO!_ Despair clutched at him. Not again… Whatever miracle had brought them back probably wasn't going to happen a second time. With the defenses down, Johann had access to all of Vanaheim.

He struggled against his ropes again, considering his options. He had to escape; had to warn his friends and get Johann's army far from Vanaheim and hopefully off the end of the earth as well. But how was he going to do that?

Another hour passed, and the boat at last docked on Vanaheim's shore. Johann came back to his quarters, untied a few of Hiccup's ropes, and dragged him on shore where he later tied him up again. Hiccup was sure to kick him on the tender part of his big toe. It earned him a push to the ground, but the feeling he got seeing Johann hop unceremoniously back to the ship was enough to forget about the bruises.

From the position of the sun, Hiccup could tell that it was late morning, perhaps afternoon, and steadily growing later. In a few hours, the Flyers would begin to break camp for the night.

Which would give him time to try and escape while there were no eyes on him. He knew a few secret places on the island from previous times here and could form a plan once he had some time to think without a Dragon Hunter breathing down his neck.

Who knew if the gang would get to him in time? It was possible they couldn't find him in time – or worse, captured by more Dragon Hunters.

 _It's up to me to save myself_ , he acknowledged with a gritty acceptance. He'd certainly found himself in worse situations than this and somehow emerged relatively unscathed. Hopefully, he'd luck out again this time.

Dusk approached, and just like Hiccup thought, the Flyers broke camp on the shores and lit their fires. Johann at last returned to Hiccup, looking a little more composed than before with a twice as nasty expression than usual. He untied Hiccup's ropes from the tree he'd bound him to, shooting him a dark look when he discovered them halfway undone, and led him across the island and to the entrance of a murky cave, where he stopped.

"This place your new quarters?" Hiccup asked. "Huh. Suits you."

Johann's grip on the rope noticeably tightened. "This will be the first place you search. You're going to look for that lens, and you're not going to rest until you find it."

Hiccup was incredulous. "Why in Odin's name would I do that? You almo – you killed my _friends_ , my _dragon_ , and put my father into a _coma_. Your leverage is _completely_ gone. I'd never do _anything_ for you." He wanted to spit at his feet, but his mouth was too dry from lack of water to summon saliva.

"True, your friends are long gone – praise Thor for that – but something I've learned from my time plotting against Berk is to never underestimate your little gang. I'd rather have no personal leverage than have your buddies riding in to save the day once again. It's getting old. But, I do have threats, Hiccup – you'll look for that lens or I swear every dragon you've ever trained, rode, or saved will be dead by morning."

Hiccup's heart clenched at the thought of all those wonderful creatures being struck down at the hands of violent Flyers and Hunters. It was a disgusting thought. "...you can't. It's… impossible."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that. I'm sure we could take down at least a few hundred. I have Flyers _everywhere_. Water, land, sky… at the snap of my fingers, I could get anything I wanted."

"Except the last lens."

"And that's where you come in and where this conversation ends. Unless you want to see dragon bodies drop, I'd suggest you obey."

Hiccup frowned. He had a choice, then… it was be a good little lens-hunter or sacrifice thousands of dragons to the hands of Johann. The answer was obvious. He knew the right choice.

 _But if Johann gets the lens, then all dragons will be killed._

Gods, this was a mess. A huge, impossible mess. What we he supposed to do? Sacrifice the entire dragon population for a few?

 _I can't just let Johann kill them_ , he argued to himself. _I don't care if it's logical or not. And who knows if there's a lens even here? I can't let those dragons be killed. I won't._ The needs of the many might outweigh the needs of the few, but the lives of a few were nothing to be overlooked. Even if it was only one dragon at stake, he'd do everything in his power to protect it. That was just who he was.

Johann sensed the decision inside Hiccup and smirked. "Defeated again, Hiccup? Good. Now get in there and start looking, or _I'll_ start looking for those dragons you so dearly love."

It was all Hiccup could do not to growl out another sarcastic remark. Sighing, he trudged into the cave, chains dragging behind him.

Time was running out.

His workday started – or rather, work _night_. A few Dragon Hunters and Johann himself oversaw him as he was asked endless amounts of rough questions and forced to comb through rubble for any clue of where the Dragon Eye lens was. This whole thing was so stupid, Hiccup couldn't believe it. He wasn't just going to find it magically. There wasn't some giant, invisible magnet leading all the lenses to him.

Hiccup was just Hiccup. Yet, Johann seemed to think there was something more to him.

The small reassurance that his enemy was fooled was enough to keep him going.

Morning at last came. Hiccup was exhausted and ready to sleep. But when the Hunters he'd been working with stumbled off to take their naps, Hiccup was not allowed to rest with them.

Johann forced him to work with the next shift of Hunters, too, only giving him two sips of lukewarm water before handing him off to Krogan and going to take a quick rest of his own.

At least… at least he'd formulated a plan.

As he was shoved down the tunnel for the second time that day, he touched his pocket for a bit of comfort.

The Monstrous Nightmare gel he'd grabbed earlier weighed down on him heavily.

He sighed… but he knew what he had to do. What he wasn't sure of was _when_ he had to do it.

He had promised himself he'd wait a little while longer before trying anything, knowing Johann was keeping more than his own eyes on him and that if he made a dash for freedom so soon, things would not end well.

But, he couldn't wait forever. He could be killed at any moment, and so could thousands of dragons.

There really was no choice, then, was there?

* * *

Astrid's heart was nearing brokenness as two days passed, and a third one began. She and the Riders had been searching nonstop across the oceans and lands, only catching a few hours of sleep here and there. But there was no sign of anything. Johann had just… disappeared.

Disappeared like that ship beneath the waves.

Like Hiccup as she was dragged from the cell.

Like all her dreams for a future with her betrothed.

 _Stop it. This isn't helping anything. There's a chance he's alive… a big chance… and I won't give up on him. I can't._

"Where would Johann even go?" Snotlout shouted as they took off from an island they'd camped out on last night. It was early morning and they were getting started on another long day of searching. Everyone was grumpy. "It's like he dropped off the face of the earth. Not that I'd complain if he did… but I still wanted to punch him in the face at least once."

"I'm trying to think like a madman would, but I've got nothing. I don't know where he'd go," Fishlegs said, ever the analyst.

Astrid looked at her friends in the sky beside her, shaking her head in frustration. She had no idea either.

"Wait a second… I've just received… an epiphany!" Tuffnut declared suddenly.

Everyone stared at him. "Do you even know what that means?" Fishlegs asked.

"Duh! It's sudden and striking realization often used for science, but can be used for modern stuff. Look. Guys, guys, guys…" He looked at them all each in the eye. "It's _painfully_ obvious, isn't it?" He seemed shocked at himself and the other Riders.

"Am I thinking what you're thinking?" Ruffnut asked.

"Probably. Twintuition never fails."

"What's obvious?" Astrid asked, hoping this wasn't some joke. She was _not_ in the mood. And neither was Toothless (who she still rode, with Stormfly flying next to her), from the looks of him. Since the ship had sunk, he'd fallen into a melancholy Astrid could barely bring him out of. The thought of Johann's demise solely consoled them both.

"Well, there's one place that Johann and Krogan sent those Dragon Flyers after." Tuffnut arched an eyebrow. "You know… the one we were trying to protect that kind of got us into this mess…?"

Astrid could've slapped herself. Tuffnut was right – it was glaringly obvious. Ugh… if only she'd stopped her mad search across the archipelago and thought for a minute…

"Vanaheim. Johann's on Vanaheim." She halted Stormfly in mid-air and turned her in the direction of the secret island. Her friends followed suit, flying twice as fast as before now that they had a course to head in.

"But, why?" Snotlout asked, nudging Hookfang up so he was head to head with Astrid. "Doesn't he want to find the last lens before taking over the entire earth?"

"Not if he had reason to believe the last lens was on Vanaheim." Thinking about it, Astrid couldn't believe they'd all missed it. Taking over Vanaheim had been a surprise attack with no specific reason. This had to be the one. "You guys already found a lens there. Johann must've guessed it was there, too."

"Luckily, we found it first," Fishlegs said, giving a whooping sigh of relief. "We're one step ahead!"

She froze at his words. "One step ahead?"

Any trace of happiness vanished from her expression, replaced with frigid judgement. "How can you say that? We _lost_ Hiccup… one way or another. We will never…" Her fists clenched. "… _never_ be one step ahead."

An icy silence ensued.

"Astrid." Fishlegs began. "I didn't mean…"

She held up a hand to stop him… then looked down in shame. Her friend hadn't deserved that. "I know. I know, Fishlegs. I just… I need to get to Johann, and then I'll…" She trailed off. She wasn't sure what she would do.

"If we hurry, we can reach Vanaheim by evening. Think you can hold on till then?"

"I'll try."

Toothless's angry snort told a different story. He was impatient to find the man who'd taken his best friend from him and take revenge. Astrid's jaw clenched. How could one man's absence take such a toll on people? It wasn't fair… Hiccup was so young… so full of promise, and adventure.

And so many people loved him.

How could one man threaten take all of that away from the world?

Or… had he taken him away already?

* * *

Hours passed, and before Hiccup knew it, they were turning into days.

He was too exhausted to be surprised, though. Johann had been dead serious when ordering he work without rest until he found something. He hadn't slept in… two days, was it? And it was afternoon now – going on three, then. He fought back a yawn at the thought. Only given water a few times a day, and nothing else, his exhaustion was crippling from lack of energy as well.

When he'd been lens-hunting before, he hadn't even been looking for it, determined to stall Johann's plot as long as possible but still keep the dragons alive. Now, however he _really_ wasn't looking, barely caring about the task given to him. All he cared about was _sleep_ … and something to eat, as well. Bread sounded heavenly.

His stomach growled at the thought.

"Tell me, Hiccup," Johann sneered at him a few hours later, watching as the Rider scoped the ground for a clue from Oswald. Hiccup thought part of the reason he was being forced to do this was because Johann wanted to see him in such a pitiful state before he died. "What's the longest time a human has been awake for?"

"Why don't you find out."

"Orthogo Bloglew died after staying awake for ten days, Hiccup. No one's made it further." He smirked. "Better find that lens soon, boy, or you'll be next."

Dying slowly from sleep deprivation or being killed by Johann? Hiccup knew which one he'd pick. He'd protect the dragons no matter what and would rather die that give Johann that last lens.

In fact… He straightened his slackened body. Why had he put up with this game for so long, anyways? He wasn't one to submit so easily. The lack of sleep made it hard to think, but one thing was clear: the time to act was here.

Why? Well, why not? He accomplished nothing by waiting.

And he was sick of playing along. He was sick of Johann's taunts. He was sick of not being able to do anything when his brain was screaming at him to make a move.

It was settled then. He was doing this… right now.

Balling his hands into fists, he discreetly slipped one hand into his pocket, drawing out a single bottle of Monstrous Nightmare gel. It was small, but it was enough. Enough to go through with his plan.

Hiccup glanced around the cave that they were currently searching through, and found what he was looking for. A few torches had been hung on the walls around them, lighting the damp cavern.

Perfect.

He looked at Johann to make sure he wasn't looking, glad to find that his nemesis was busy scolding a Dragon Hunter at the moment. No one noticed as he shuffled from his spot. No one expected him to try anything with everybody watching.

That was their mistake. And it was going to be their downfall.

He unscrewed the cap of the bottle he held with a shaky hand, then poured it across the sides of the cave closest to the entrance, pretending to be looking for hidden clues from Oswald or a treasure chest holding the last lens (Johann's ideas were pretty terrible). When he ran out of that one, he brought out another. And then another.

Soon, Hiccup had used them all up, the coating thickest near the front of the cave. Everything was ready.

One flame and the place would blow. The sides would collapse in on them.

Hiccup approached a torch with a sober determination. He was going to destroy the cave, and in the process, take Johann with it. That was it… his final plan. He had no more options. Reasoning with this villain was hopeless. If he didn't act now, Johann would start killing dragons.

Hiccup could never forgive himself if he allowed that to happen.

That was why he was okay with the knowledge he'd still be inside the cave when it exploded, no time to escape his chains linked in the wall before it blew.

He was okay with the fact that he was going to die, knowing that his death would save people.

He was okay that this was the end. It was the dragons' last hope, and Hiccup had long ago sworn to do anything for those magnificent beasts. This included.

His friends would miss him, sure. But, hopefully, in time, they'd understand… he was doing this for them. He couldn't turn back.

It was time. He accepted it. He had for days, now.

"Oi! Boy! What are you doing?" A Dragon Flyer had spotted him. Hiccup had the torch in his hand now, and all he had left to do was drop it. He was ready. Ready to just get it over with.

But… he paused.

Was he really about to do this? Take out Johann and Krogan and everyone else inside this cave - but himself with them? If they were gone, the dragons would be safe again. The archipelago would be at peace. His friends could live harmonious lives without fear to hold them back.

His greatest dream… right at hand. Even though a Flyer had spotted him, he still had time to throw the torch to his side before the man reached him.

It'd be over. Just like that.

But, he hesitated. He hesitated, and in those precious moments, multiple things happened.

The first was the sound of dragons screeching from outside, followed by blasts of fire. He heard wild yelling, and everyone inside the cave stopped what they were doing to see what was going on – including Hiccup, who turned his head away from the torch in curiosity.

The yelling continued. There was something all too familiar to it.

Surely… surely, it couldn't be…?

"TELL US WHERE HICCUP IS, AND WE MIGHT LET YOU LIVE!"

The sweet sound of Astrid's voice shocked him, then filled him up with staggering relief.

She was here. His friends were here. They'd come to save him at last.

And they had perfect timing, as usual. Hiccup had been ready to sacrifice himself to save the dragons just a minute ago… They had saved _him_ , after all. That foolish black dragon had rescued him from a life of fear and unhappiness, and he would give himself up in a heartbeat to save any of them. There was no doubt about that.

"MOVE IT, FLYERS, OR YOU CAN GET A FREE SAMPLE OF WHAT A MONSTROUS NIGHTMARE'S FLAMES TASTE LIKE!"

Snotlout. He was here to save him, too. A grin split across his face. He was so happy his friends were truly okay.

Even from inside the cave, Hiccup could see the chaos going on outside, between dozens of Flyers getting scorched to dragons swooping to and fro. The Flyers inside the cave with him were ordered to go and fight. Johann and Hiccup were eventually the only ones left, as Krogan was on his ship resting.

Incredibly, it didn't take long before the Riders' dragons had fended off the majority of the Flyers, and they landed, their riders whooping at their victory. A few of them slipped off their dragons, starting to call around for Hiccup while the others remained in battle.

"I'm… I'm in here!" he shouted, tugging at his chain and trying to get as close to the entrance as possible. His voice was hoarser than he realized from lack of water, but he saw heads turn as his friends heard him.

 _They were really here._

"How…?!" Johann's livid voice cut off Hiccup's thoughts. "They were dead. _I watched them die_!"

"I think you better check twice before making assumptions, Johann," Hiccup said, a smug smile growing on his face. He was saved – he could scarcely believe it, but he was saved. It was time to go home.

"Hiccup!"

Astrid was running up to the cave from the beach where she had landed. He saw her figure coming closer with each passing second. "Oh gods… you're okay. You're really okay."

"Astrid," he said, weak with relief.

 _It was_ really _happening._

Johann's head suddenly jerked to look at Hiccup, and the Dragon Rider could feel the intensity of his rage even from far away. He took a step back.

Johann was always angry, but this felt different. It felt dangerous.

" _You_ ," he seethed. "... _you_. It's always _you._ You behind my problems. You ruining my plans. YOU'VE RUINED EVERYTHING, YOU FOOL!" Hiccup's heart pounded against his ribcage, nerves on edge. Was Johann just monologuing… or was something going to happen? "But, I won't let it happen again. I won't. If it's the last thing I do, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III… _I will destroy you_!"

Hiccup watched in horror as Johann sprinted towards him with a focus like nothing before. He stumbled backwards on his chains in an attempt to get away, but locked up, he had no hope to escape… Johann was only a few meters away now…

" _NOOOOO!_ " Astrid's scream sounded terrified - an emotion he hardly ever heard. "HICCUP... NO! JOHANN, YOU STAY AWAY FROM HIM! _STAY…. AWAY FROM HIIIIMMMMMMM!_ "

She was running towards them faster than Hiccup's ever seen her go before.

But she wasn't fast enough.

Johann collided violently with Hiccup, knocking him over and pinning him to the ground. The momentum caused the torch to fall away from Hiccup's hands. Johann yelled something in his ear, his face a nightmare of pure hatred.

Hiccup didn't care. His attention was locked on something else… something far worse than Johann at the moment.

He watched in chilling horror as the torch fell from his hands, ears deaf to Johann and Astrid's screams. He could only stare as it clattered across the ground in slow-motion, rolling… rolling… rolling around on the ground for what seemed like eternity before it finally hit the side of the cave.

Igniting the Monstrous Nightmare gel.

 _No… not after… all this…!_

He couldn't stop it. He couldn't save himself.

Astrid was still running towards him, though, about to enter the cave and be caught up in what would momentarily become a cave collapse. He panicked. _I can't let Astrid die!_

"ASTRID, _STOP_!"

He managed to yell out even through his exhaustion and terror. The urgent command somehow managed to freeze her in her tracks shortly before she entered the cave.

Hiccup slightly relaxed. She was safe. His friends were safe. The dragons were safe.

That was all he wanted for them. Peace and happiness.

 _It's okay_ , he mouthed to Astrid, who stood just meters away, stationary in confusion. She didn't know. She didn't know what was about to happen. Maybe it was better that way.

Squeezing his eyes shut, he silently said a prayer for his loved ones. He might've added in one for himself.

 _ **BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!**_

The cavern shifted, flames sparked, and rocks began to fall near the entrance of the cave, where the gel was heaviest. It would soon unsettle the entire structure of the place, caving in all places. He threw his body away from a stunned Johann and into a corner, covering his head.

He didn't know if he'd survive this. He was terrified, but he accepted his fate.

Hiccup was just so tired. He wanted the fighting to end.

He'd done it, though… he'd trapped Johann in here, and maybe without him, things would get better for the dragons. He hoped so.

Hiccup didn't have time to think, though. The roaring of rocks toppling over each other and destroying the entire cave drowned out his thoughts. He let out a strangled yell as something hard struck his head… and his world tumbled into black.

* * *

It was dark.

It was empty.

It was quiet.

Exhausted, he slept.

* * *

 **Remember to R &R on your way out! Thanks for reading... I promise I won't take another six months to update. :-)**


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